Rayle pulled at the fabric of his candidate robes and fidgeted. The white 'dress' was itchy and uncomfortable and Rayle was getting irratable. Tarran sighed and pulled at his own robe.
When Tarran approached his friend he found him cursing silently under his breath.
"What is it?" Tarran asked quickly. Rayle jumped about two feet in the air.
"Shards' sake Tarran!" Rayle put his hand over his heart. "Scare me to death why don't you?"
Tarran smiled quietly. "Nervous?"
Rayle smiled back. "Not at all. You?"
Tarran looked around at the assembled candidates. "Nope." Rayle saw right through his friend's lie. Tarran smiled. "A little. It's just...they are all girls."
Rayle sighed wistfully. "Are they ever."
Tarran punched him in the arm. "You don't find that strange?"
Rayle winced and rubbed his arm. "What?"
"That we are the only guys."
Rayle smirked. "I think it's a good thing."
Tarran could have decked his friend. "Your hopeless." The two youths stood near the eggs of the water-bound Mijath. The yellow-queen was standing protectively near. They both fidgetted with their robes, uncomfortable.
"I hate this thing." Rayle announced trying the loosen the neck on his robe.
Tarran nodded. "They make us look like girls."
Baeris quickly proved that both boys were nervous by startling them nearly to death. She leaned between them and quickly added, "They do not make you look like girls, they make you look like candidates."
Both youths jumped at the sound of her voice. Rayle said something quick back to her, but she didn't catch it. They both straightened and tried to look natural. Rayle noticed Kallia and Baeris snickering and turned red.
"I'm gonna...." He started angrily.
"...Deck the Weyrwoman before the hatching. Very appropriate." Tarran added dryly.
Rayle glared at his friend. "I don't see why we have to..."
"Shhh..." Tarran ordered. "It's starting." Both youths turned their attention to the rocking eggs.
Tarran watched with excitement as one egg began to rock and spin. It toppled over and a bronze nose burst through the shell. Tarran smiled as he expected the rest of the dragon to gracefully follow. Instead the young bronze had a difficult time getting out of his shell. The reason became evident when he emerged: His legs were flippers and his wings were too. Tarran gasped. Although the bronze looked akward on land, he was transfixed by the tiny hatchling. The bronze started to make his way across the sand, to Rayle and Tarran. The water-dragon made it about half-way before tripping. He nosedived into the pebbles, shipfish-like tail wriggling in the air.
It called to Tarran. I'm Oshianith. What tripped me? I can't walk to you! The dragonling was frustrated.
"Now that's falling on your own Oshianith, but you only need a little practice." He looked at Rayle who laughed.
I would not need help if I got in the water... I am so dry, T’ran, and I am hungry! I do not know what to do first!
"First you eat, then we swim!" T’ran cried out, helping the flippery dragonet off the beach.
Rayle watched Tarran, now T'ran, leave with a smile on his face. He couldn't hear Oshianith's voice, but he knew that his quiet friend would get along well with the odd, cheerfully-coloured dragon. He turned back to the eggs and began fidgeting again. Whenever he'd thought about impression, T'ran and him had always impressed at the same time, but now.... What if this meant there wasn't a dragon for him. Rayle shook his head and firmly put that thought out of his mind. There were only two eggs left, and two candidates. One of those has got to be mine! He decided as the darker coloured one began to rock.
The dark egg rolled around a bit, and then crumbled into large pieces from the strength of the large wide flippers within. A long snout broke through the main portion and forced its way out. A brownish speckled nose. There was no moment of waiting here, the dragon looked right at Rayle.
I am sorry I took so long... My brother is already done. Now I am ready to show him how to get from one place to another.
The brown dragon gracefully unfurled his wings and walked over to R'yle. You see? I can do anything he can, and do it more gracefully! I am Viharth!
R'yle smiled. "I bet you can Viharth. You're a calm one."
And you are not always. So you see why I'm glad that Oshianith didn't choose you?
R'yle couldn't find words to express his emotions. The normally aggressive youth brushed back tears before hugging his dragon's neck.
"I'm gonna win! I'm gonna win!" R'yle laughed as Viharth sped past his bronze brother. Both water faring dragons were at full speed and they were running out of water. The shore was approaching faster than either really wanted it to.
"We've got this one, Viharth!" R'yle was overconfident.
Don't be so sure, rider-mine. It's not done yet. My brother still has some tricks left. The brown's ever sensible comment drove R'yle crazy.
"C'mon there's no way we can loose...." R'yle promptly shut up as Oshianith passed them.
I told you.
R'yle smiled. "Don't be so pessimistic we can still win." Viharth just sighed and slowed. The shore was too close for a last burst of speed. The brown didn't want to endanger his rider. R'yle sighed as Oshianith quickly turned right before he hit the shore. T'ran laughed and waved at his friend. "Stupid T'ran..." R'yle muttered.
Oshianith swam up beside Viharth. T'ran smiled at R'yle. "Beat ya again."
R'yle glared at his friend. T'ran raised an eyebrow. Oshianith laughed. If you guys really faught every time we raced, you wouldn't be friends. One more race, to the Weyr.
Viharth smiled, showing his quiet, calm, competitive side. You're on.. In a flash both dragons sped off, leaving nothing but waves behind them.
The two dragons and their riders, burst into the weyrbowl of Adanuk Weyr, freezing. The jump from water to between could be a real 'kick in the pants' as T'ran put it. Especially since Oshianith had to jump between directly from the water. Viharth could fly a short distance and dry off a bit before he disappeared.
R'yle and T'ran dismounted and quickly ran for blankets. They quickly returned to find both their dragons missing. We're at the Feeding Grounds. You didn't expect us to starve? The youths laughed and headed towards their lifemates.
Oshianith and Viharth were easily the first dragons you noticed around Adanuk because of their...peculiarities.
Oshianith measured a good 30 metres long, small for a bronze, but bigger than his brother. Oshi was completely grounded, he couldn't even glide like his brother. That never bothered the bronze though, as he could outswim any creature in the sea. He was clumsy on land, bulky and off-balance, but once you got him in the water, watch out! Oshi's generally talkative and cheerful personality contrasted with his rider's calmness, but Oshi also helped T'ran be more out-spoken. Oshi could easily pop between, if the rider was prepared to freeze. The water around him would freeze as well, so he has to be sort of careful betweening around his brother.
Viharth was a normal sized brown at 29 metres. He could fly for short distances and is more graceful than his larger brother. He can move easier on land, and swims nearly as fast as his brother. Viharth is a calm dragon, matched with a hot-headed rider. They spend much time arguing, but if you ask either of them, it was a match made in heaven. Viharth could between a lot easier than his bronze brother and with a lot less discomfort to his rider.
Oshi, Viharth and Tynith faught Thread together in a water-bound wing. They made quite a trio. R'yle and T'ran joked and talked as they entered the Dining Hall. They sat at a table and waited for Miarra, Tynith's rider, to show up. Miarra entered, shivering and both youths smiled.
The red-headed green rider sat down opposite her friends, teeth chattering. She smiled at them.
T'ran laughed, running a hand through his own wet hair. "That jump from water to between's a real kick in the pants isn't it?"
Miarra smiled and nodded.
R'yle grinned. "That's why you go between from the air."
T'ran knocked his friend in the arm. Both Tynith and Oshianith could barely move out of the water.
Miarra laughed. "Sure rub it in." The tall girl was immediately in a better mood
R'yle raised a brow. "Would you rather fly?"
Miarra quickly shook her head. "Not on your life. Tynith's watery nature can be a problem sometimes, but I made a pact."
T'ran smiled between mouthfuls of meat. "What?"
"Never to fly again." Miarra grinned back. "Come hell or high water."
T'ran and R'yle laughed. "For our sakes, let's pray high water."
R'yle and T'ran impressed Viharth and Oshianith at Baeris Kshau’s Healing Den.
Background from Jolie Designs Web Graphics
