Ru

Ru looked around and all but tip toed into the building where the ice rink was housed. Making sure that no one had followed her, she let out a sigh of relief and started to change into her skates. Stepping onto the ice, she let out a sigh. It was very early in the morning, and in a few hours she would have to go eat breakfast with everyone else. Yet now, she had to rink to herself! Doing a few practice stops, she smiled. Since the day she had arrived, she had premanently borrowed a pair of hockey skates. Since she was a candidate, she had more free time then the riders did... that is, the time she was suppose to spend learning... she rolled her eyes. She didn't need to learn this stuff! She had learnt it all the way back at home, listening in on the candidate classes that they had given to the candidates. She was a rider's daughter as well! She knew everything she would need to learn already. As she continued skating, so ingrossed in her own thoughts, she didn't hear someone else enter. She didn't hear them put on their skates, in fact, she only realised that she wasn't alone when something hit her on the back of the leg.

"OW!" she turned to see Jackel watching her with an equally frosty look in her eys.

"What are you doing here?" they both asked at the same time. Ru giggled, and Jackel smiled slightly.

"I couldn't sleep." Jackel replied.

"Oh yeah? Well... I'm used to waking up early to skate by myself. Back at home, everyone skates, so its always crowded. Besides, I have no time to skate during the day time..." she scowled. "And when I do find the time, they well at me for missing classes."

Jackel smiled slightly at this. She looked down at the candidate's skates and realised they were hockey skates. "Care to try some shots?"

Ru laughed. "Are you crazy? I've seen you work..." she smiled. "I'm more of a figure skater." she did a short turn and bowed. "Besides, you know that you'll end up gloating over me..." she grinned at this. "I come here to practice my kind of skating... just wondered how it'd feel using these..."

Jackel arched an eyebrow at this. "Which is why your always here practicing with us, and helping Z'braxs with his skating techniques?"

Ru blushed at that. "That is... um..." she narrowed her eyes. "I know what your thinking."

Jackel enjoyed the flustered reactions from this younger girl. "Oh?"

"I don't... that is... not really... not enough to..." she smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, your right..."

"Hey hey hey, what are you two doing down here so early in the morning?" Both turned to see two others entering. J'stin and Z'braxs walked into the room, both yawning and rubbing their eyes. Z'braxs smiled. "Good morning to you too Ru."

Ru blushed slightly, and nodded. "You too." she looked at both of them. "You look tired, why don't you go back to sleep?"

"You'll join us?" Z'braxs teased, winking.

Jackel mumbled something under her breath, and Ru turned slightly crimson. "Don't joke." she grinned. "Now about your lessons on learning how to stay up on the ice..."

J'stin snickered at that, and glided onto the ice. He smirked, doing a few fancy stops. Z'braxs laughed. "I wouldn't be talking if I were you... your the one who can't hit any shots at all..."

J'stin grinned. "Oh, what a great hockey player we would have made if we were just one person..."

Ru rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn.

"Candidate Ru!"

Ru frowned and looked up to see the Weyrling Master glaring down at her. She looked away, embarresed. It wasn't her fault that they had gotten her to...well...she wasn't built to use up all her energy in the morning!

"This is the seventh, eighth time that you've been falling asleep in my lesson! You will have to either get more sleep, or stay after to revise everything you've learnt." his gaze softened. "I know you already know most of the stuff I'm trying to get across to the candidates, but its better to be safe then sorry, isn't it?"

Ru nodded, embarresed. It was true, what if she learnt something she hadn't known before, which coud safe a dragon's life? Maybe... her dragons life? "I'm sorry... it won't happen..." she paused, and grinned. "I'll try to make sure it won't happen again."

The Weyrlingmaster grinned.

Ru yawned and rubbed her eyes as she stepped onto the ice. She turned to see Jackel already on it, and smiled. They had made it a silent agreement to practice every day while dawn was breaking. ALthough this didn't leave enough energy for her to concentrate in class, the Weyrling Master, Roki hardly complained any more.

"Good morning!" Ru yelled out, waving. Jackel looked at her and hesitantly waved back. Ru smiled. "You are up pretty early... how long have you been here? 2? 3? hours?" she teased.

Jackel smiled slightly. "Long enough to know that your late... where were you? With Z'braxs?"

Ru blushed at this, then sighed. "You know, I don't even know why I continue to like him..."

Jackel stared at the younger girl for a moment. "You know, your not the only one. Before..." she laughed at the memory. "I did have a small crush on him..." she admitted. At Ru's look, she scowled. "Its not hard falling for someone like him! But then... then I realised I admired him more then I liked him... he is good at getting goals past me."

Unknown to both of them, the door opened and Z'braxs walked in. Bending to put on his skates, he went unnoticed by both girls."

"The best goalie in the world" she teased, then sobered slightly. "I like him, I like him alot, but its just not fair... what would he ever see in a girl like me? I see the girls he usually is with, I'm... well... Z'braxs is never going to like me... at least, not the way I like him. He probably thinks of me as a friend."

Z'braxs stiffened, not willing to movie unless he gave his position away. He sat there, not knowing what to do, hoping that someone else would enter and save him. Yet the thought wouldn't really leave his mind. She? Like him? He should have been able to see the signs.. he usually did with the other girls... but then again, she wasn't like the other girls who had liked him...no, she was different. A little bit more naiive then the rest, and more... she liked him?

Just then the door opened once more with C'nor leading the way. Spotting Z'braxs, he raised an eyebrow in question, yet nodded when Z'braxs lifted a finger to his lips, shushing him. Crawling over and getting up as if he had entered with them all, he smiled, carefully watching Ru.

"Hey hey! We've got to stop this healthy urge of waking up early to play hockey..." C'nor grinned. "Its not good to be soo healthy, we need to be more lazy then that!"

Ru quickly glanced over at Z'braxs. Did he hear? She smiled at C'nor. "You should see the lake we have back at the VC. Its huge! The ice is completely froze over all year, so even in the summer like now, you can go skating... and all around you, you've got dragons and such a wonderful view..."

C'nor grinned, and Aisu laughed. "We've heard enough about it from you, that we can almost picture it in our heads!" Aisu grinned. "Which is why we'll be going to the Vella Crean today, to see if the lake is as good as you make it sound. Say Ru, you don't have any lessons until late afternoon... why don't you come with us? We can have a little lunch there before we come back. Z'braxs, you and J'stin aren't doing anything either, why don't you both come with us?"

Z'braxs looked over at Ru, and saw her nod. Hey, it'll be alright... maybe I'll get to know her a little bit more. he nodded. "I'll tell J'stin about this... is there anything you need us to bring?"

Aisu shook her head. "Just your skates, Naeodin has agreed to give us food, and promised Quachir she wouldn't starve us..." she grinned wryly. "Although with the fact that she's at Ryslen in the arms of G'rumon..."

Z'braxs nodded, laughing. "We'll meet you in the Weyrbowl soon."

Ru looked over at Z'braxs for a moment, before politely averting her eyes. Questions ran through her head, yet she firmly pushed them out of her mind. Besides, what was the use? Shrugging, she turned to watch the others on the ice. It was a magnificent place, a lake surrounded by lush green grass on one side, and a large hill on the other, overlooking the feeding grounds. The lake itself was hard, and completely frozen. She smiled, proud of the lake the Vella Crean had.

"See? Didn't I tell you?" Ru teased, watching them. "Its so much more better then being stuck indoors."

Aisu chuckled, before turning back to the others. "Well, it is nice." she admitted. "But I'm too hungry to say anything else."

Ru grinned, as she watched a couple of drudges make their way towards them with a picnic basket. A large sheet was placed on the grass, and then the basket opened. This is nice she mused, before turning back to the food.

"Hey, Ru?"

Ru turned to see Z'braxs watching her with a slightly concerned, befuddled look on his face. She shrugged. "Hmm?" she looked down at the food that was laid out in front of her and grinned. "The food is really nice."

He smiled back at her. Picking up a sandwhich, he grinned. "Say ahh.."

When she opened her mouth, he popped it in, causing her to blush.

C'nor watched the exchange, and laughed. "What are you two, our latest love birds?"

Both blushed then, and Ru remembered her conversatin with Jackel. Deciding that it was better to tell him, and find out what he thought, then keep it to herself and be totured, she looked over at Z'braxs hesitantly. "Hey... can I speak with you?"

Z'braxs nodded, and turned to the others. "We'll be right back."

They walked down a path, enclosed from all areas by either buildings or trees. When she found a small clearing which was far enough for her tastes, she slowed down, and turned. "Um..." she blushed then, her amber colored eyes, looking away. "The thing is... I like you... alot." she blurted out. "I just had to tell you... because I'm never good with keeping things to myself."

"I know." at her widening eyes, he smiled, a soft smile. "I heard you."

If she could turn any redder, she knew that she had. "And...?"

Z'braxs held her hands, and looked into her eyes. "Even if I did like you..." he started off. "Nothing can come out of it... your a candidate now Ru, and you might impress. You know its against the rules to have any sort of relationship with a fledgling rider..." he sighed. He sounded grown up, yet he wasn't really that mature.

Ru looked away, hiding the disappointment in her face. She smiled then. "I guess its for the best then..." as he turned to go, she placed a hand on his sleeve. "Just... one thing..." at his wary look, she smiled. "Will you... wait for me?"

Wait?

"Until I become a rider... will you... maybe consider it... then?"

Z'braxs smiled, seeing the hopeful gleam in her eyes, and nodded. "I will." he promised.

Meanwhile, unknown to both of them, two very curious riders had indeed followed them into the clearing, and were hiding like two kids, not wanting to be discovered. C'nor smiled then, wondering about the importance of what he had just witnessed. Jackel, admired the girls courage for having told him out right. C'nor tried to get up then, and without even thinking, her hand shot out to hit him back onto the ground.

"This is their moment." she said. "We shouldn't ruin it by revealing our hiding place.

C'nor smiled.

Back at Seiryuu Weyr, Ru collapsed onto her bed, tired after the trip to the Vella Crean. Physically, for they had played on the ice, and mentally, for she had confessed to Z'braxs. Yet as she lay in bed, she couldn't help but smile. It was true... she was a candidate now... rolling over so that she was on her side, and watching the other candidates walk in and out of the barracks. "Candidate... Ru." she said, testing out the name on her lips, and smiled. "Rider... Ru?" she tried, her voice quiet. "That sounds nice...rider...Ru..."