Ru

Ru pulled on her pair of skates hastily and quickly tied up the laces. It was dawn, and for a few hours she would have the ice to herself. Slowly walking on the froze river, she smiled before launching herself into a frenzied work out. The only reason she didn't fall over, was because for the past 5 years she had practiced every day until her butt would go too numb, until her hands went numb for catching herself every time she fell. Nairo, a doctor from Earth had brought her a pair of skates from his visits... or should it be N'iro? As Ru cautiously did a quick spin turn, she landed on her butt and let out a string of curses. They didn't know anyone who... as the Earthling called it, 'figure skated' on the Vella Crean, so she would have to make do with his vague descriptions, and would learnt how to do those crazy suicidal tasks on ice.

"OUUUUUUUCCCCCCH!!!!" that was quickly replaced by another string of very violent and vivid curses. Getting up one last time, she set off again, when she heard someone clap behind her. "Naeodin? I thought you would be back until mid day?" she asked, before stopping and running towards the middle aged woman. Throwing herself into her arms, she grinned. "I missed you!"

Naeodin chuckled. "Its only been a week or two, you didn't miss me only because I kept you out of trouble?"

Ru looked sheepish. "Well, I didn't get into trouble, if thats what your asking... I just had to spend alot of time convincing everyone it wasn't me." she stated simply. She grinned and gave the woman another hug before bounding off onto the ice. "Naeodin, why don't you grab a pair of skates? We've got the whole lake to ourselves!"

Naeodin grinned warily. "The last time I went on the ice, I had to tie pillows on my knees and elbows, my ass, as well as my hands... and I still ended up bruised."

Ru giggled at the memory. The leader of the Vella Crean had been a... funny sight. Not that anyone would say so, with Sasiath so close to rising. She did a quick flip in the air, before bowing. "So, how was the tour around the VC?"

Naeodin let out a muffled curse. "You'd think I'd be happy owning a whole planet? But no... I have to go on a all world tour every three months or so, plus add in duties as leader of a dragon weyr like place, a cranky dragon, and hand picking through a bunch of new recruits..." Naeodin made a face. "Its a wonder I don't have a head full of white hair."

Ru laughed. "Come on, you still look young. How old are you? 60? 65?"

Naeodin let out an outraged squack, and mouth collapsed, laughing. Ru considered Naeodin a mother she had never had, so they felt comfortable in each other's presence. "Enough about me. How have you been Ru?" she asked gently. "Hows Hayan?"

Ru looked away then. "I guess mom is alright... I haven't spoken to her in a long time." at Naeodin's look, she rushed on. "Its not her fault, we just dont'... fit together, you know? Besides, she's always off at Pelar because her dragon rose there..." she looked away for a second. "She did send me a birthday present though... it would be more effective..." she let out a laugh. "If it was my birthday, its still months before my birthday will be here."

Naeodin's gaze softened on the young woman. "Don't worry about it, Hayan's just stressed because of the way her dragon has been reacting. Its no biggie. I should know what its like to deal with a cranky dragon..." she expression darkened. "She decides to keep me up three nights in a row because she doesn't like the way the other females are looking at her! You'd think she'd be used to it... but no..."

Ru laughed. As she tugged off her skates, she walked over to Naeodin and planted a soft kiss on her forhead. "Its been a long time... why don't you go sleep then?" she girnned down cheekily.

Naeodin grinned back. "Yes mom." she teased, and walked off, leaving Ru feeling happier then she had. As she carried off her skates into a small room on the ground floor of the Vella Crean, she pulled out a dark gray shirt and a pair of black trousers to change into.

"Ru! You in there?"

"Coming!" as she pulled on the shirt and tied her hair back, she opened the door. "Yes?" she asked expectantly, then the smile fell. "Oh, its you."

The man at the door smiled, winked, then swaggered in. "You don't sound like your happy to see me Ru." he said, his voice was deep, and so full of mockery, Ru couldn't help but shudder.

"Listen K'nat, just because your with my mother, doesn't mean I have to even pretend to like you." she whispered softly, tension was rising in the room as quickly as she could calm it down. "I don't care what your relationship is with her, your a nobody to me."

His eyes darkened as he looked at her, and he walked forwards, trapping her between the wall and his arms. "Do I have to show you what a man I am? Do I have to prove to you that you'd also love to jump into my bed, the way your--"

Before Ru could react, her fist flew and connected with the side of his jaw. As he staggered back, she saw blood oozing from the corner of his mouth... and didn't regret it at all. "Out!" she yelled, pointing to the open door. "You will never insult me or my mother again..." her eyes glinted. "Unless you want me to take this little matter up to Naeodin...she wouldn't like to find you insulting her adopted daughter, would she?"

That was all she needed to say, as K'nat all but ran out of the room. Ru rubbed her temples and sat down, petrified of what had happened. She didn't know how long she was sitting there for, when she heard someone coughing very politely.

"Yes?"

"Um... I'm here to look for Naeodin, and they told me to come to you, because you'd be able to sniff her out better then most of the other folks." came a masculine voice. Ru's head shot up to see a tall man with dark brown hair and green eyes looking down at her, slightly shy.

"Oh, sure. But I wouldn't recommend that you disturb her, she just returned from one of the trips to take care of the folks of the Vella Crean, and she's feeling kind of cranky." she grinned at that. "So unless you want your head bitten off by her gold who is about to rise..."

"No, its alright, I'll bother her a little later then." he grinned at her. "My name is Z'braxs, I'm here to inform her that there is a clutch at Seiyruu Weyr, and that we need a couple of candidates. We heard that there were a few here with no place to go..."

Ru nodded. "Thats true, there are alot of strange creatures..." she smirked. "not trying to scare you away or anything, but we've got a few candidates with no where to go... blood sucking candidates." at his look, she started to laugh. "They won't hurt you none, my name is Ru. I live here, although my mother is Hayan she lives in one of 'em rooms up there." she said, pointing to where the riders were lodged. "Rider of red and white Lanayth she is." and she couldn't help but let a hint of pride escape into her words.

Z'braxs nodded, and looked around the room, interested. Spotting her skates, he walked forwards. "You... don't play ice hockey..." he noted, half statement, half question, for there was no other equipment in the room, and the skates looked different.

"You play hockey? Whats that? Oh no... those are skates, I skate on that lake over there... its kept frozen with the help of Gyo, rider who controls winter. She keeps it frozen like that for the whole year." she smiled. "Hockey?"

Z'braxs nodded, and explained the earth sport that a few people had brought over. Ru listened, delighted and started to laugh. "What?" Z'braxs asked, his voice half annoyed, half confused.

"So basically, its a sport you play on ice, where you have sticks, and you've got to hit a slab of black thing into a net?" the laughter remained in her eyes, and she tried hard not to giggle.

Z'braxs nodded, sheepish. "Um... yeah. Basically, thats it." he replied, nodding. He realised how funny that sounded, and grinned. "I'm not that bad..." he said, nodding, not mentioning the fact that he could barely skate ten steps.

Ru raised an eyebrow, causing him to look away. "So... this hockey... it sounds fun." she said, nodding. She grinned. "Maybe you could take me back to Seiyruu, and can teach me to play?" she stared at him, a hopeful expression on her eyes. Z'braxs tried looking away, but he couldn't. Finally, he gave in.

"Alright... but its a very rough sport most of the time..." he grinned at her snort. "You sound very confident Ru."

Ru winked. "Well, a stick and a black puck... can't be that hard..."

Boy, was she wrong. Firstly, she was told that her ice skates were different, so she had to wear a pair of hockey skates. Then, she had to try to get out of wearing padding -after all, it was only for fun- and then, she had to try to skate on a proper rink. She laughed as she watched Z'braxs try very elegantly, to stay on the ice. She hesitantly stepped on, and felt the rush of thrill she always did when she stepped on ice. As she did a few spins around Z'braxs, she tried to stop and realised...
She couldn't.

"HEEEEEELLLLP!" was the only thing she yelled out, as she went slipping and sliding all over the ice rink. Yet at the same time, she was unwilling to fall -that would just be a major embarresment- and she was unwilling to bang into the side to stop either -she didn't want to have to explain bruises!- so there she was, skidding all over the ice, waving the stick thing in her hands as she tried to control herself. Not only did this speed her up, but she ended up hitting many hockey players in the head, the arms, and the legs..."HEEELP!!!" she yelled out once more.

Z'braxs watched her with half amusement, half terror as people tried to stop her, yet only ended up beind pushed away with the stick. He stepped infront of her, hoping to slow her down when

BAM!

"Uh... Ru? I think you broke my back..."

She ran right into him so that they were on the ground, Z'braxs under, her on top, in a very... suggestive position. She watched the one they called Aisu wince and chuckle, and felt herself grow red.

"Figures... takes a bad skater to bump into a bad skater..." muttered a voice.

Ru tried to get up, yet only ended up slipping and sliding back ontop of Z'braxs.

"Oh, get a room already!"

Ru glared very nastily, and tried to get back up. This time, it was a success, and so she stood there, feeling very embarresed with herself. She helped Z'braxs up, and turned to the others with a very sheepish grin. "Um... I guess I can't control my skates..."

This caused many people to wince and agree, rubbing their heads or the places she had hit while skidding across the rink. Ru looked down again, feeling herself grow very red.

"Its not your fault... listen, why don't we all go get something to heal our wounds with?" this caused more laughter. "And someone can teach you how to stop for a little while..."

Ru watched them leave, and she followed. She felt so humiliated! Changing into her own skates because she relished the fact that she was in one of those proper things on Earth. As she went back on the ice, she sighed with satisfication. This, was what she was used to. Just skating and stopping for a while, as her confidence grew, so did her tricks. Just letting the moment fill her up, she let her body go where ever it pleased. Up in high jumps, around in spins, and backwards. Stopping and feeling the ice below her blades, she smiled, and opened her eyes.

"You know... I think she should teach Z'braxs how to stop..."

She looked around to see many of the hockey players had gathered, and gave a cheeky little bow.

By the time she returned to the Vella Crean, she was stiff from learning how to stop, and from stopping herself from hitting them all out of frustration. -Although she would have been the one hurt...one against a whole hockey team? Nah...- As she returned to her own room, she closed the door behind her and turned to change into something for comfortable for the night. Just then, she heard a knock on the door and turned to see Naeodin entering.

"Did you get my message?" she asked, looking for signs or tiredness in the older woman's eyes. Seeing nod, she nodded. "That sleep helped you, didn't it?"

Naeodin grinned wryly. "You act so much like my mother..." she nodded. "I did. I sent word over to Seiryuu... their search rider should arrive tomorrow for an official search. Our candidates do have potential, but it depends on what is right for them."

Ru nodded. She grinned. "I went to Seiryuu for a visit today." she nodded. "Learnt that... sport... ice hockey? I'm not that bad..." she decided not to mention her little stopping incident. She patted the seat beside her. "Are you well?"

Naeodin nodded. "I heard of a certain incident with a rider named K'nat?" she looked down at Ru. "Are you alright? Sasiath relayed the message... it seems that his brown was talking about it. Are you alright?" her eyes hardened. "His behavior has been noted down, and the rider has been warned."

Ru looked away. "I was going to tell you." she started off. Then at the look in her eyes, she sighed. "Well, not really. But you can't blame him. I guess I baited him a little bit..." she smield sheepishly. "I mean, he was getting on my nerves..."

Naeodin laughed. "Ru..." she looked over. "Are you... alright with your mother? I mean... I know I asked you in the morning... but maybe thats what set you off?"

Ru stilled. "No... its not like that." she said, trying to convince herself as well as Naeodin. "I like her alot... but we don't act like mother and daughter because thats who we are... its not in her personality to act like a mother... and its not in mine to go forwards and to try to act like a daughter she wants."

Naeodin sighed. "Well then... I'll see you tomorrow morning at the search." she said. She smiled. "Sweet dreams." When Ru woke up the next morning, the sun was shining into her eyes, and she realised groggily that the door was open. Rubbing her eyes, she walked towards it to close it, when she saw the long line of people. It was the search! Pulling her hair into a messy pony tail, she rushed out. By the time she had reached Naeodin's side, the search rider C'fron had gone by the kids with no avail.

"I'm sorry Naeodin, none of them seem right for our clutch." C'fron said, sheepish. His eyes fized themselves onto Ru then. "Hello... I didn't see you with the other candidates..."

"Thats because I'm not a candidate." Ru stated.

C'fron grinned. ."Then who are you?"

"My name is Ru, daughter of red-white Lanayth."

C'fron nodded. "Well then Ru, would you like becoming a candidate at Seiyruu Weyr?"

Ru paused, then her face broke into a smile. "You mean, I'll be able to skate in that rink of yours every day?"

C'fron nodded. "Every day until you impress." he promised.