Cagnaith let his head come above the surface of the water and covered his rider with a spray of the cool liquid. “Hey watch it there Cag,” K’lin said as he wiped his brow on his sleeve. Cagnaith warbled and said, You’re no fun K’lin. All the other dragon’s riders always go into the water to play with them. You however, only sit at the edge and watch. K’lin sighed and said, “I’m sorry Cag, but you know that I don’t like to swim.” The brown snorted and waded towards the edge of the water. When he was fairly close to his rider he said, What if I told you that a pretty little green over there and her rider have been looking over in your direction for awhile. If she were to ask you to swim with her and you refused, what do you think she’d say? K’lin rolled his eyes and said, “Get out of here you overgrown wherry. I’ll come in when it pleases me.” Cagnaith rumbled and waded back into the water, heading for the green he mentioned to K’lin.

When he approached her she narrowed her eyes a little and her rider looked up warily. We do you fear me so? The green snorted and said, I fear nothing, and least of all you. Your rider is the one who is afraid of the water? Cagnaith rumbled in his rider’s defense and said, He is not afraid, only unwilling to get himself wet. The green warbled and said, Well I suggest you figure out a way to coax him into the water soon, for I will not talk to you again until you do. My rider thinks it’s foolish for a person to fear water when you will die without it. Cagnaith crooned and said, I will not humiliate my rider for your pleasure. Good day. With that he swam away, not even giving the green a backward glance.

As Cagnaith approached his rider K’lin asked, “Well how’d your little talk go? She didn’t seem too pleased with your presence, and neither did her rider.” Cagnaith climbed out of the water and shook himself off, nearly drowning K’lin. It does not matter but I can tell you that she is stuck up and her rider is cruel. I want nothing to do with them, and I think you would have agreed if you had talked to them as well. K’lin nodded in understanding and said, “Yes some females are like that. There are plenty left around here though and I’m sure they will appreciate your company more than those two did.” Cagnaith crooned happily and said, Yes I suppose you’re right, but what they said was rude and there was no reason for them to tell me what they did. K’lin shrugged and said, “I really have no urge to hear what they said, but I’m sure they were just looking for a good laugh.” Cagnaith sighed and said, Yes I’m afraid you’re right. However, they would be directing their laughter towards us.

About an hour later Cagnaith stood up and said, I’m beginning to feel the pains of hunger. Can we go to the hunting grounds now? K’lin nodded and stood up from his place in the grass. “Sure, you’ll only be able to have a couple though. If you have too many you won’t be able to fly as fast as will be needed during our training tomorrow.” Cagnaith let his rider climb up his shoulder and sit on his neck before walking off towards the hunting grounds. What sort of training will we be doing tomorrow that will require me to have a slightly empty stomach? Cagnaith asked. K’lin smiled and said, “Well there isn’t much left in our training, considering we’ve already mastered pretty much everything, including betweening. The only thing that’s really left is flaming.” Cagnaith snorted in surprise and asked, We’re going to start flaming? K’lin nodded and said, “Yeah I guess. That’s why the weyrlingmaster wants your stomach slightly empty. Some dragons have a bad reaction to the firestone the first time they chew it if their stomach is full.”

Cagnaith crooned and said, Yes that makes sense I suppose. How much longer do we have in our training anyway? K’lin shrugged and dismounted as they reached the fence that kept the beasts contained in the hunting grounds. “I don’t know, only about a month or two I believe. Are you excited about graduating?” Cagnaith looked at his rider and said, Of course I am. What kind of dragon would I be if I was not excited about being able to fly, and between without someone always watching over you?