Tamika laughed quietly as Orzith tried to fly. She wasn't trying to be mean, but the weyrling queen did look rather funny. Orzith turned and glared at her rider. You're not helping Tamika.
Tamika stopped laughing, but continued to smile. Love, I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but you do look funny. So do all the other weyrlings, trying to fly.
Orzith snorted and beat her wings hard. She lifted a few inches off the ground, and then came down. She snorted at Tamika again. I flew. I could fly more if I wanted to, but that would make everyone else look bad.
"Alright!" Takisha yelled. She was the Weyrling Master at Adanuk Weyr. She knew a lot about flying and battling Thread and stuff, but she did't have much patience for weyrlings. Her lessons were always short and to the point. "Enough for today! Go to your weyrs." She sounds exasperated and probably was. A new clutch had just hatched and she'd have another group of weyrlings in a few sevendays.
Tamika smiled and walked towards Orzith. "Don't be mad love." Orzith snorted and the two returned to their weyr.
* * *
Damian greeted his friends by bowling Tamika over and wagging his tail at Orzith. Orzith, in a bad mood, snarled at the friendly watch-wher. Damian hung his head and looked to Tamika for comfort. She rubbed his head and said something soothing to him. Damian, too stupid to be upset for long, curled up on the floor and watched the door, guarding it.
Tamika sighed and went over to Orzith, who had flopped down on her dragon couch. "Orzith don't be so upset. No dragon in the history of Pern has ever flown the first time they tried."
Orzith kept her head down and stretched out. But I want to fly.
Tamika gave her lifemate a half-smile. "You will. Just wait. You will."
* * *
Orzith stared out the window to the small weyr into the night beyond. She sighed and looked to her sleeping rider. As if on cue, Tamika woke up and looked around. Seeing Orzith, Tamika smiled and walked over to her dragon. "Still thinking about flying?"
Orzith nodded.
Tamika smiled one of her more mischevious smiles. "We could go try flying now. No one would see us. C'mon." Before Orzith could even answer, Tamika was dressing quickly and grabbing riding gear.
Orzith sighed and followed her rider out the weyr door, making sure not to wake the ever-watchful Damian who was snoring on the floor.
* * *
Tamika! This is crazy! Tamika and Orzith had walked far outside Adanuk Weyr to the cliffs that looked over the sea. Tamika was purposing that Orzith jump off the cliff and try flying from there. If she couldn't then they'd both land safely in the water.
Tamika smiled. "You can do it love. I know you can. And I don't mind getting wet."
Orzith glared at her rider. You're crazy! It's suicide. Orzith sat on her haunches and snorted at Tamika. I won't do it.
Tamika sighed and looked over the edge to the cliff. It was a safe fall. There were no rocks at the bottom and at this time of day the tide was in. She sighed again and looked to her dragon. "You're just scared."
Orzith snorted. I'm not scared. I just don't think...
Orzith stopped mid-sentance as she saw her rider fling herself over the edge. TAMIKA!! Orzith flung herself over the edge. The weyrling queen spread her wings to slow her fall, but both Tamika and Orzith still hit the water pretty hard.
Orzith came up sputtering, Tamika came up laughing. "See? No harm done."
Orzith glared at her rider. I'm going to kill you if you do that again. The little queen then sighed and looked back to the edge. Maybe I will try flying from there.
Tamika looked shocked. "You mean you weren't trying last time? When you thought I was going to kill myself?"
Orzith paddled to shore and shook herself off. I came after you didn't I?
Tamika laughed and climbed to the back of her wet gold. This is going to be a cold, wet night. She thought.
This was your idea, not mine. Orzith stated, nose in the air.
Tamika laughed. "I know. I know."
* * *
Hours later a cold, wet, but content dragon and rider made their way back to the weyr.
Orzith flopped down on her dragon couch as quietly as possible, trying not to wake Damian. I flew! The gold weyrling beamed.
Tamika laughed quietly. "I wouldn't so much call it flying as controlled falling."
Orzith swatted at her rider with her tail. You didn't have to keep jumping over with me.
Tamika changed into some dry clothes and lay down beside her dragon. "I wanted to."
Orzith smiled and layed her head next to her rider. Thank you.
Tamika smiled to herself, knowing how much her effort meant to Orzith. "Thank me in the morning. If we both don't have pneumonia." Dragon and rider shivered themselves to sleep.
* * *
Read Tamika's hatchling story.
Read Tamika's candatdite story.
Tamika impressed Orzith from Sapphire Weyr.
Tamika impressed Damian from Talor Cliff Weyr.
