"No." Mishar glared at his dragon, his friend and his friend's dragon. "I will not."
"You will too." Snowstalker never did understand how to take no for an answer. "You have to."
"I do not and you can't make me...you...you...barbarian!" Mishar rarely resorted to name-calling, but he was beginning to see no way out of this and that made him panic.
"Everybody on this planet does it. It's not hard." Takisha rolled her eyes as she tried desperately to keep control of her temper. "You'll get used to it."
"You're all insane. It's never going to happen. End of story." Mishar began to stalk back to the weyr he'd been given at Adanuk.
Seironasth, a dragon blessed with an enormous amount of patience, quickly moved to intercept him. Please rider-mine? If you don't, I'll be useless my whole life. This is what I was born to do. The dragon, realizing that Mishar was softening up, quickly continued. I would never let you fall.
Mishar glared at all present. "No!! Pecwae don't fly!"
"Of course Pecwae don't fly!!" The Weyrling Master lost what little patience she had. "Humans don't fly, elves don't fly, trevenici don't fly, the damn dragon flies!!"
Snowstalker tried to hide her smiled as she stroked Shytaeth's neck. The light purple Weyrling's eyes whirled blue. Seironasth should just pick him up and fly him around the Weyrbowl.
Snowstalker smiled as Mishar whirled to face her mount. "I heard that you purple beast!!"
The trevenici decided to step in before Takisha killed him. She spoke their native language, mainly so Takisha couldn't add any more commentary. "Mishar, I've flown with Shytaeth many times. You have nothing to be afraid of. It is perfectly safe."
Mishar sighed. "There's a reason the Pecwae are short."
"Really?" Snowstalker wondered if he was trying to change the subject.
Mishar smiled. "We don't like heights."
Seironasth decided to try again. Please Mishar. I'll stay low to the ground. The silver dragon had flown by himself before, and he was actually a good flier.
This is ridiculous. Shytaeth got up and stretched herself. The rest of the class was in the air two seven-days ago!!
Snowstalker sighed. He hadn't finished his saddle. He insisted on making it himself since all the training ones were too big for him.
She could sense the amused tone in her lifemate's voice. They were all too small for you, but that didn't stop you.
I was eager to get in the air. Where it's cool!! Having been forced into riding leathers, the Trevenici warrior was cooking in the heat of Adanuk Weyr's summer.
"Fine." During her conversation with her lifemate, Snowstalker had missed the argument that finally won Mishar over. "I'll fly." For a 50 turn man he was very good at acting like a baby. "But if I die it'll be on your heads."
"If he dies, it'll make my job a lot easier." Takisha muttered it under her breath so only Snowstalker could here. The tall girl knew she was joking and smiled.
By the time they'd gotten Mishar onto his lifemate and into his saddle, the Pecwae was having second thoughts again. "I don't know if this is such a good idea..." The vein on Takisha's forehead was about to explode.
Get Snowstalker to mount Shy. The female dragon could tell that her brother was up to something. This'll be fun.
"What will be fun?" Mishar questioned as he watched Snowstalker mount. "What will be fun?"
Taking my sister's earlier suggestion. The silver leapt into the air before his lifemate could say another word. The Pecwae did, however, have time for a final yell before the wind drowned him out. In a few seconds the silver and his light royal purple sister were circling hundreds of feet above Adanuk.
Is he doing alright? Snowstalker had to talk through Shytaeth when she was in the air. Even her booming voice couldn't carry very far.
Shytaeth was very amused. He's fine. Seironasth wouldn't have pulled this stunt if he didn't think Mishar could handle it.
"I can't handle it!!" Mishar clung desperately to his dragon's neck. "I want off now."
Open your eyes rider-mine! The view is beautiful! Seironasth tried to sound calming.
"The view is hundreds of feet beneath me!!" Mishar did pry one eye open in time to see Snowstalker and Shytaeth passing amazingly close to them. "And if that's not enough Snowstalker's gonna hit us."
I will not! Shytaeth pulled away at the last minute, showing off.
Snowstalker laughed, still worried about her friend, but Shytaeth's cocky attitude was rubbing off on her. What if he can't handle it. He may never fly again after this.
Don't worry. Seironasth knows Mishar as well as I know you. The light royal purple dragon continued to show off for her brother and Mishar.
Think you know everything about me huh? Snowstalker wondered if her lifemate's boast was true. What's my name?
Snowstalker? Seironasth couldn't help butting in.
Shytaeth smiled. And here I thought you were going to ask me something hard, The snow falls silently and hides her passing. She will run iwth the wolf and hunt with the pack. Snowstorm.
Snowstalker was slightly amazed. No one ever used a Trevenici's real name. "How did you..."
Shytaeth and Seironasth started decending in slow circles towards the Weyrbowl. The light royal purple's dragon's eyes were whirling bright blue. You knew my name when I first hatched, I knew yours.
And I thought Snowstalker was a funny name. Seironasth and Shytaeth both landed effortlessly beside Takisha.
"It's a very honourable name." Mishar slid off Seironasth's back, looking only a little green around the cheeks. "Too bad she's not an honourable person."
"What?" Snowstalker slid from her lifemate's back and steadied her friend. "Why?"
Mishar moaned. "You could have warned me."
Read their hatchling story.
Read their candidate story.
Shytaeth and Seironasth were both 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.
