Although it was dark outside, no light streamed from Tamika's room. The hall outside her room was pitch black, but inside her room there was a soft silvery glow; the light of the moon glinting off stars painted on the roof. Inside the room Tamika was laying on her back on the floor, pointing out the more important constallations to her hatchling.
Damian, her watch weyr, was sitting on her bed, watching the proceedings with great interest.
"Now, do you see that grouping of stars there Orzith?" Tamika asked.
The small gold tilted her head and glared intently at the roof. They all look the same to me Tamika.
Tamika smiles. "You'll figure it out. That group there, a big one, and three little ones..." Tamika got slightly annoyed. "that you can't see because the moon isn't bright enough." She sighs.
The gold hatchling nudged her rider. Yes, now I see.
Tamika sighed and stood up. "That's it. We're going outside."
Damian jumped to his feet in expectation. He was tired of being cooped up in here.
Orzith rolled to her feet as well. Are you sure we should be doing this? Weyrwoman Magika said...
Tamika was already heading out the door. Damian gave the young gold push with his head to get her moving. Tamika was really glad that Damian had taken to Orzith so well. She'd been worried that Damian might try to attack the young dragon or accidentally hurt her. She didn't have anything to worry about though. Damain was about a fierce as a kitten. He treated Orzith like his own child.
Tamika lead the way out to the weyrbowl and, despite the protests of the gatekeeper, right out of Adanuk Weyr. Damian and Orzith had to run to keep up with her. Tamika started to speed up and Orzith heard her rider's voice in her mind. Wait here Orzith, and keep Damian with you. I'll only be a minute. The gold stopped immeadiatly and sat down. Damian, getting the idea, sat down as well. Tamika broke into a run. She ran until Orzith and Damian lost sight of her and then she ran back. She approached the two, barely short of breath, and fell down into the grass. She didn't speak, just gazed up into the sky.
You really like it out here, don't you Tamika?
"Yeah." Tamika simply replied. "I haven't done that in a while, all this business about being a candidate and impressing and everything. It just blew me away. I forgot to make time to run." She snorted softly. "This has been my first time out of the Weyr since I got back a seven-day ago."
The gold snuggled up to her rider, and Damian sat protectively over all of them. One day, I'll run with you.
Tamika smiled. "No you won't Orzith, we'll fly." They lay quietly in the dew-wet grass, gazing at the sky for a few minutes, until Tamika finally broke the silence.
"Now Orzith, that grouping of stars there, the one big one and three little ones, that's..."
Tamika got Damian at Talor Cliff Weyr.
Tamika impressed Orzith at Sapphire Weyr.
Read Tamika's candidate story here.