raziinflight

Irritably, Razi looked skyward, a frown on her lips. “I can’t /believe/ you enjoy this heat, Chareth,” she told her green acidly, and the pale, stocky green tossed her head.
<<I spent weeks in the shell in heat worse than this, Razi, and that’s where I met you. Good things happen in the heat,>> Chareth bespoke her rider, defensively.
“If good things happen in the heat, then why are we both cranky?” the girl replied, fanning her face with one long, bony hand.
<<I’m not cranky, you are,>> insisted the green, and she beat her wings and peered sulkily down at her lifemate.
Razi snorted. “You’re upset about something, m’dear, and I’ll thank you not to lie to me. What’s wrong, are you upset that Beridonth hasn’t talked to you this sevenday?”
Chareth growled vocally and mentally, strobing thoughts making the girl wince. <<I don’t want to talk about Beridonth. I don’t like him anymore. He is slow and silly.>>
Razi looked a little taken-aback. “But you’ve always loved to talk to Beridonth,” she stuttered, wondering what Ka’shan would think of this.
<<Beridonth is a pest. So are my clutchmates. I don’t want to look at them anymore. Let’s go somewhere else,>> flashed Chareth, wings tucked tight to flanks.
“Cabin fever, hmm? All right, let’s go.”

“Chareth, we’ve visited every Weyr on the face of Pern! Can’t we go home now?”
The green sniffed disdainfully and curved in the air, her shadow racing over the sun-mirroring depths below. <<Not quite every Weyr. And the sea air will do you good.>>
“Saltwater gives me a /rash/, Chareth…”
<<Just leave me alone. I know where I want to go,>> she said shortly.
Hurt, Razi quieted until they reached yet another Weyr, a small one. <<Here. Here is a good place, my rider. Feel the thermals and the cool breeze! There’s plenty of space to maneuver without hitting anything high, too.>>
An exasperated Razi snapped “Chareth, what are you /doing/?”
<<I will fly and clutch here. This is perfect,>> the green stated, her mental tone now warm and mellow.
Comprehension dawned belatedly on Razi, and she stared. “Chareth, you’re /proddy/!” It was more of a wail then a question as the greenrider faced the inevitable.
<<What else have you been keeping me off firestone for?>> Chareth responded affably, and Razi moaned. <<This is Baeris Kshau’s Healing Den. Go sign me up; we’re not going home. Pesky clutchmates will never find me /here/.>>