"I don't care what they say about being able to get back to Pern and all, this place freaks me out." Lilika couldn't help but shiver as she walked the halls of the new Alabaster on this new world someone had mentioned to her. She didn't understand it and she didn't want to. She new that as soon as she was done here she was returning to Pern, dragon or now. She smiled as she rubbed Love's head.
"And I'm going to look for my friends Love, whether they're looking for me or not." Lilika sat down in the hall. She'd picked up a few bad habits from her time as a slave, one of them being her preferance to sitting on the floor in a hallway that people were trying to walk through to sitting on a chair in the Dining Hall or sleeping on a bed. She'd nearly broken her arm the first night when she'd risked the night in the piece of furniture she'd never seen before. Since then she'd always pulled the blankets onto the floor and slept there. She smiled as she gazed out one of the windows. The Lord Holder hadn't known what to do with her when she'd started collecting dishes after the meal and brought them to the kitchen to watch them. One of the dragonriders had had to come back and remove her from what she believed to be her chores. "Boy." Lilika smiled. "I've got a lot to learn." She remembered the candidate-classes and her behaviour in them..."-A lot- to learn."
Love nudged her with his head and whimpered. He knew she was going into one of her spells and he knew there was nothing he could do about it. As Lilika lost touch with the world, her brown wher put his head in her lap and growled at all who walked past and got too close.
* * * "Candidate!" The drudge sighed as she finally found the object of her search. "Candidate! The eggs are hatching!" The drudge knelt to shake the semi-consious girl. "Candidate?"
No! Let me get up! Please! Lilika could hear the woman's voice, but her limbs refused to obey. Please!
Love whimpered and nudged her with his head again. He snapped half-heartedly at the drudge, frightening the woman off.
No! Please! I'm almost awake! Just wait! Wait a minute! Please! Lilika tried to rouse herself, but she knew she couldn't rush it. I'm almost there. I'll just run to the sands... She tried standing and only got a twitch from her legs. Okay...I'll walk slowly to the sands...My Robes!! Lilika was beginning to think she was in a lot of trouble. "My robes..." She muttered the words as she tried to force her body to work. "Ugh!" Being consious, but immobile was really frustrating.
"Got them." The drudge woman smiled. "The Weyrling Master told me of your condition and gave me a short drill on what to do if you were like this when the hatching occured." The woman smiled kindly. "Everything's going to be okay. You're not alone anymore."
Lilika smiled gratefully as the woman helped her stand and throw the robe over her clothes. "People keep telling me that...do you think that I don't believe you?"
The woman smiled as she half-carried, half-walked Lilika to the Sands. "We're waiting for you to agree with us." She smiled warmly as Lilika stepped shakily onto the Sands herself. "Or with someone important enough to you."
* * * Lilika's head was finally beginning to clear as the last few eggs were hatching. I can't believe I was out of it for most of the hatching! What if my dragon missed me? Her breath began to come short. I have to calm down or I'm going to pass out! The gypsy wished for something to lean on, anything to keep her from falling flat on her face on the Sands. So much for not being alone. She reached out with her hands, but nothing was around. I'm going to fall over!
You are not alone. You will never be alone. I even want to meet that hideous not-dragon thing you have befriended. Lilika looked down to see a small hatchling's head under her hand. She sunk to her knees, the full force of the impression driving all other thoughts out of her mind.
She reached out and rubbed the side of the small gold's head. "Love? You mean love? Semonnith, I hope you two get along..." Lilika breathed, feelings she'd kept locked up for so long finally pouring out. She felt a few tears fall down her cheek. "I know I love you..."
* * * Lilika kept one hand on Love's head and one on Semonnith's. "Are you full loves?" She smiled.
You are bursting with emotions Lilika! You're confusing me! The gold creeled, too young to understand everything that was going on.
Lilika laughed. "I'm sorry. I'll try and calm down." She rubbed the tiny gold's head. Love creeled and nudged Lilika. "Jealous?" She kissed the wher on the nose, then hugged it tightly. It creeled and backed away, Lilika's hug having been slightly more forceful than usual.
I believe you should find a way to diminish your energy rider-mine. Semonnith's eyes whirled a deep blue. Before you kill your not-dragon thing.
"The word is 'wher', love..." She smirked as the wher looked up when his name was mentioned. "I'll have to call you something else dear-heart." Lilika rubbed Semonnith's head. "Else, Love will get really confused."
The tiny queen reared and flapped her wings. Teach me to dance, rider-love!
"What?" Lilika realized she must have been thinking about dancing. She always tended to think about dancing when she was happy. She looked around and saw the other new riders feeding their lifemates. "Why not?"
Teach me! Semonnith stood on her hind legs and reached out to Lilika with her forelegs. With Love jumping around them, trying to be a part of whatever was going on, they danced.
Continue... * * *
Lilika impressed Semonnith at Alabaster Weyrhold.
Lilika got Love from Falas Weyr.
Background from Myrror Images.
