«Dragoner» “B’tan aren’t you going to get up soon? It’s already an hour past noon,” Cytonath complained. B’tan rolled over in his bed and said, “It may be past noon Cyt, but I got home at two so let me sleep.” The large bronze sighed and said, “The fact that you got home late is your own fault, but now we’ll be late for everything today, if we ever manage to get down to the grounds, and the Trainers are not going to be happy.” “What are you talking about?” B’tan asked sleepily. “I don’t think they’ll choose a pair of dragoners who are too lazy to even come down for the interview to be fleet leader.” Cytonath sighed again and said, “I was really hoping for that position too.” B’tan sat up in bed quickly and looked towards his dragon’s quarters. “Holy crap! Cytonath why didn’t you wake me up before this? If I don’t get down there there’s no way they’ll choose us,” he exclaimed as he jumped out of bed and looked for some clean clothes. Cytonath rumbled in frustration and said, “I have been trying to get you up rider-mine, and I’m painfully aware that they won’t choose us if we don’t get down there so you may want to hurry up.” B’tan threw some clothes on quickly, straightened them out, and then ran into his dragon’s quarters. “Are you ready?” B’tan asked as he looked his dragon over. Cytonath sighed and said, “I have been ready for at least four hours.” B’tan nodded and climbed up onto his dragon’s back. “Alright, alright I’m sorry,” he said as he sat down between two of the large neckridges. Cytonath walked towards the end of the ledge and dove off, gliding down towards the spot where the trainers and the dragoners hoping to become fleet leaders were standing. The large bronze landed lightly and B’tan leapt from his dragon’s back and headed over to greet the trainers. He returned soon though, biting his lip in thought. “What did they say?” Cytonath asked when his rider was standing beside him. B’tan frowned and said, “They said that we might as well just go back to our caer because they won’t be choosing anyone that is over an hour late.” Cytonath warbled and said, “I am sorry B’tan. I know how much you wanted that position.” B’tan shook his head and climbed back up onto his dragon’s back. “It wasn’t your fault,” B’tan said as he gave his dragon the signal to take off. “It was mine.” When they got back to their ceyr Cytonath let his rider know that he was going down to the hunting grounds and would be returning shortly. B’tan nodded and said, “Yeah take as long as you want.” An hour later Cytonath returned, full and exceptionally happy. “B’tan?” The bronze inquired. “Yeah?” The bronzerider asked as he walked back into his dragon’s quarters. “Did you get enough to eat? You weren’t down there very long.” “Yes I did, and I found something that will help lighten your mood,” Cytonath said proudly. “Oh really?” B’tan asked as he sat down against the wall and listened to his dragon. “And what’s that?” Cytonath warbled and said, “A mating flight. I’m sure that the thought of a female will help to clear this from your memory.” B’tan smiled but shook his head. “Nothing will help to clear this from my memory, but if you’re interested in chasing a female then that’s fine with me.” “I didn’t say that it would clear it completely B’tan, I merely said it would help.” B’tan smiled sadly and said, “I know Cyt.” He was quiet for a moment and then he asked, “Ok, so who is she?” Cytonath crooned and said, “A large gold, by the name of Kandrith.” B’tan nodded and said, “That’s a pretty name, who is she ridden by, what Caer is she from, and when is she rising?” Cytonath hesitated for a moment but then said, “Her rider is Sarilyn and she’s from Caer Tiynarea.” When B’tan didn’t say anything Cytonath quickly added, “She’s very pretty, and the dragoner I was talking to said that she’s very nice.” B’tan smiled and said, “I’m sure she is Cyt. I was actually trying to figure out where Tiynarea is. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that Caer.” Cytonath warbled nervously and said, “Well perhaps you’d like to go visit it today so that we can learn our way around, as well as sign me up for the flight.” B’tan nodded and said, “Yes that sounds like a good idea. Oh, you do know how to get there?” Cytonath nodded slightly and said, “Yes, I got the coordinates from brown Kyiunth.” B’tan smiled and climbed up to his dragon’s back again. When he was settled he said, “Ok, well we might as go now. We don’t want all the spots filling up before you can enter.” Cytonath warbled again and then walked towards the edge of the ledge, leaping off when he reached the end and gaining altitude quickly. When he was high enough to transfer, he made the jump, coming out of it a few moments later over the Weyr of Tiynarea. B’tan looked around and said, “Wow, the terrain is so different here.” He rubbed his chin in thought and said, “I wonder what sector of Alskyr we’re on now.” Cytonath circled to land quickly and when his feet hit the ground he gestured for his rider to dismount. When B’tan was standing beside him he said, “Ok rider-mine, let’s go find out where we sign up for the flights.” “What’s the rush?” B’tan asked as he looked around. “You don’t want to look around and find out where everything is first?” Ctyonath shook his head and said, “I would be more at ease if I knew I was in the flight first.” B’tan nodded and said, “Alright, alright we’ll sign you up and then look around.” He walked towards the Weyr and as he walked into the weyrbowl he stopped the first person who walked by him so that he could ask where they signed up for the mating flights. A short woman directed him towards the far wall and when he reached them he stopped to look them over. “Sarilyn and gold Kandrith?” B’tan asked as he looked the board over. “Are you sure because there is a white and a green rising as well.” Cytonath crooned and said, “Yes I’m sure rider-mine. I wish to enter Kandrith’s flight.” B’tan wrote his dragon’s name on the list and then turned around to see a small blue take off out of the bowl. He looked around some more, raising an eyebrow in wonder as he did so. “Cyt…” B’tan started as he saw another dragon, a larger brown, land and shake water from his front legs. “Yes rider-mine?” The bronze asked, already knowing what his rider was going to ask about. “Where the hell are we?” He asked. “What ever do you mean?” Cytonath asked. “We’re at the Weyr of Tiynarea.” “Weyr?” B’tan nearly shrieked. “Cytonath what have you done? Where the hell are we? And don’t even think about telling me we’re still on Alskyr.” Cytonath shifted his weight uneasily and said, “We’re on the planet of Pern, on the northeastern coast of the Southern Continent.” “WHAT!?” B’tan cried out. “Cytonath what were you thinking? Oh, hell… please tell me this is some sort of joke!” A young woman ran up just then and put her hand on B’tan’s arm lightly. “Is anything the matter over here?” She asked as she looked him and Cytonath over. B’tan rubbed his temples and said, “Yes there is definitely something wrong over here.” He paused for a moment and then turned to his dragon. “I am going to kill you when we get back home.” Cytonath warbled and said, “However, we cannot leave until the flight has happened, and if I manage to catch the female we can’t leave until the clutch has hatched.” B’tan was about to lose it when the young woman interrupted and asked, “You two wouldn’t be from Alskyr would you?” B’tan looked at the woman and said, “Oh yes we are. Oh thank god, we aren’t as far away from home as we thought. Hell, we have to be in our own system if you know where Alskyr is.” The woman shook her head and said, “No, Pern is definitely not on the same system as Alskyr. How did you come to be here if you didn’t know where you were going?” B’tan pointed at his dragon and said, “Ask him. He wanted to enter a females flight, tells me we’re going to Caer Tiynarea and that he’s gotten the coordinates from another dragon who’s been here recently. However, I find out that this “Caer” isn’t a Caer at all and it isn’t even in our own system!” The woman tried to hide a smile and then said, “Well don’t get too worried, we have a few Alskyrian dragons here as well so you won’t be the first ones to arrive here.” She was silent for a moment as she looked them over again and then she asked, “Whose flight did you enter, out of curiosity?” “Gold Kandrith’s flight,” Cytonath replied before B’tan could say anything. The woman smiled and said, “A good choice, she will be glad to have you compete I think. I will be hoping for you when she rises.” B’tan smiled and thanked her but then said, “I’m not sure if we’ll be staying for the flight actually. I might just turn around and go right back home, if I can manage it.” The woman shook her head as Ctyonath started to argue and said, “We’ll I’m afraid I can’t let you go until Kandrith rises. Also, I’m sure that you’ll find yourself comfortable as soon as you get settled in. I’ll have one of the drudges set you up with a weyr so that you can relax.” B’tan rubbed his temple again and said, “Thank you for your help miss.” She smiled and said, “Don’t worry about it, It’s my job.” She stroked Cytonath’s neck and then turned back to B’tan, smiling as she said, “My name is Sarilyn if you need anything.” With that she trotted off, heading towards a group of young boys who were pestering an old man with their firelizards. B’tan looked up at his dragon and asked, “That was Sarilyn?” he slapped his hand to his face and said, “I must have sounded like a complete moron!” Cytonath rumbled and said, “I’ve seen worse.” B’tan slapped him playfully and said, “I’m still going to kill you for transferring here without me actually knowing.” Cytonath shrugged and said, “You’ll thank me after the flight I’m sure.” “And why would I do that?” B’tan asked as he watched Sarilyn help the old man away from the group of boys. “Well if I win the flight then you’ll have Sarilyn, and I’ll have Kandrith,” Cytonath said happily. “Well yes,” B’tan said. “That’s kind of a given.” “Also,” Cytonath started. “If I win you will become the Weyrleader.” “What’s that? Some sort of Caer Lord?” B’tan asked his dragon. Cytonath nodded and said, “Yes, exactly and you’d also get to govern your own wing, along with an entire Weyr, with the help of Sarilyn of course.” B’tan smiled and said, “Ok, I think I can deal with that.” “So we don’t have to leave?” Cytonath asked. B’tan shook his head and said, “No, we aren’t leaving.”