R'arian and Xinleoath

We are all shaped and fashioned by what we love. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
* * *

"Please don't do this to me!" R'arian pleaded with the cold-hearted mean spirited witch that was standing in front of him.

Eden mock-glared. She was purposefully being overdramatic. "Oh no. I know where your loyalties lie. You're all mine until some silly runner is entered in a race."

R'arian gave her his best puppy dog eyes. He knew that she wasn't really that upset about the fact that he was leaving for Adanuk Weyr, or the fact that he wanted to make sure his runner was in perfect condition before her first race. He also knew Eden well enough to recognize that somewhere deep inside her, in a place she probably didn't even admit existed, she was a little angry that he was just running out on her like this. He sighed, knowing there was nothing he could do. "I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise."

Ren chirped sadly and landed on Eden's shoulder. The blue flit rubbed his head against the Holder's daughter. Eden pretty sad Ronarian leave. Eden pretty love Ronarian.

Sometimes R'arian wished he could block his flit's voice. He continued to look sad and pathetic.

Eden laughed. "If you're that desperate, go. I can't stop you. In fact I wish you luck in the race. I've seen your runner, she's really good. Have fun." Eden nodded her head in farewell and headed back to the Weyrbowl where Alasyth was patiently awaiting her bath. R'arian's heart sank. She turned back to him once she'd gone a few meters, his heart leapt. "Just don't expect me to wait for you." His heart fell out the bottom of his shoes.

R'arian sighed. "Eden pretty hate R'arian."

Xinleoath rolled his eyes. She does not. She's just a little upset at the moment. The weyrling bronze smirked. I'd be upset if you left me for a runner too.

"I'm not leaving her! Where do you all get this idea that I'm leaving her. We were never together for Faranth's sake!" R'arian felt himself loosing his temper and hated that. He hated the way Eden could rub him the wrong way so easily. He hated how she could faze him so easily. Gods I love her.

I know that. You know that. Ren knows that. Hell, I'm sure everyone else in this Weyr knows that. Why don't you tell her? The bronze was ready to go, but since he was only a weyrling they had to wait for an escort from Adanuk to show up and guide them through the between there.

R'arian sighed, gave Ren a treat from his pocket, climbed into the dragonsaddle and wondered that very same thing. He'd now been living at Taylor Cliff Weyr with Eden for over a turn and a half. They'd been in Weyrling Classes together, worked together, laughed together and became the best of best friends. And yet they never went past being best friends. At times they'd both hint at it, silly little things like holding hands, or falling asleep together, but they'd never kissed or anything. R'arian sighed. And the first hint she gives me that she was actually interested in pursuing this further is 'Just don't expect me to wait for you.'

Ren was sympathetic and rubbed his head against his owner's chest. Xinleoath was amused. She's given you many, many hints before this rider-mine. The bronze shifted anxiously from foot to foot. He hated the fact that he had to wait for an escort.

R'arian glared at his lifemate. "Thanks for being so sympathetic to my misery." He sighed very melodramatically. "I may just start liking Ren better, at least he cares."

Xinleoath smirked. I wouldn't be to sure of that rider-mine. The little blue is trying to sneak another treat.

"Ren!" R'arian grabbed for the flit but it quickly betweened to Xinleoath's head. The flit chirped angrily at the big dragon for tattling.

The bronze snorted. It's not my fault. You shouldn't be sneaking treats. You'll get fat.

Like Xin. R'arian couldn't help adding.

I am not fat. The bronze shook his head, knocking the flitter off.

Last time we weighed you, you were nearly twice as much as the rest of the bronzes. R'arian simply stated the truth.

I was also nearly twice as long at the rest of the bronzes. Xin snorted. I'm big.

R'arian laughed and rubbed his lifemate's neck. I know, shard's sake, I know. I'm the one who has to wash and oil you, remember?

Xin snorted again, but before the dragon could respond they were interrupted by a silver haired woman. "You R'arian and Xinleoath?"

"Yes." R'arian nodded his head, realizing that the woman obviously had some power.

The woman smirked. "I'm Takisha, Weyrling Master of Adanuk Weyr. Werywoman Magika sent me to pick you up." She glanced skyward, as if this was all just too much for her. "Why I must necessarily ferry you werylings around is beyond me. Can't any other Weyrling Master control you?"

Snooty little witch. She volunteered for this job and doesn't she know that the Weyrwoman wouldn't have sent her if it wasn't important? She's just a lazy little…

"I'd stop your dragon before he says something I'll make you regret. Mandaleth can hear every word he's saying." Takisha raised a brow.

Nice move. Oops. "I'm terribly sorry. Xinleoath just has problems with waiting. You are late, Weyrling Master." He bowed his head, but couldn't help smirking. He loved using facts to his advantage.

Takisha shrugged. "I can let you wait for as long as I want. Without me you're going nowhere."

That's it, we can leave without her. We're going to be late… Xinleoath angrily fluttered his wings and prepared to fly.

Takisha cut him off. "If you're worried about being late, don't." She pulled on her reins quickly and Mandaleth leapt into the air. "Try to keep up kid."

In a flash Xinleoath was in the air after the gold/white Mandaleth, who proved, like she eventually did to everyone, that she was a lot faster than she looked. We're flying overland to one of Taylor Cliff's holds, apparently Takisha thinks it will be easier to between from there. You could not miss the emphasis left on the Weryling Master's name. Takisha had that effect on almost everyone. She was most definitely a person you had to grow to like.

R'arian smirked as with a burst of energy Xinleoath overtook Mandaleth. Tell her we'll be waiting, again. As soon as Mandaleth bugled R'arain knew his message had been conveyed. The race was on.

* * *

The race was on. "C'mon!!!" R'arian was leaning as far over the rail as he could. Wishing desperately that he could be the rider on the back of Shadow of a Doubt. Ren, picking up on his master's emotion, clawed R'arian's shoulder in his excitement. Somewhere in the back of his mind R'arian heard his lifemate make some comment about he was a dragonrider, not a jockey. R'arian tuned him out as he watched the ten runners race around the track.

"What the hell is that idiot jockey doing?!?" R'arian was being a lot louder than he normally was. "Let her run!! Let her run!! The bloody runner knows more than you do you idiot!!" He couldn't even feel Ren clawing his shoulder anymore as his fists were white-knuckled on the rail. He moaned as he counted the lengths between his precious Shadow and the fourth place horse. "Give Shadow her head!! You're more than half-way there!! She can sprint five hundred meters easily you idiot…you shardin' wherry…you…you….you god!!" He exclaimed as the jockey finally loosened his grip on the reins and let Shadow of a Doubt begin doing what she did best: run.

"C'mon Shadow!! C'mon Shadow!!" The gray mare's hooves pounded the ground as she rounded the corner heading towards the finish line in third place. He felt his whole body tensing, every inch of himself urging the horse he'd trained on towards victory. "Run! Run! Run! Run! Run! Run!"

Shard's sake she's running!! The tension in Xinleoath's voice told that he was obviously as excited by the race as his rider.

"Run faster!!" There was only a hundred meters left and she was in second. "FASTER!!!" People around him began to slowly back off, sensing that if his horse lost he might become violent. Mind you if his horse won he seemed just as likely to become violent, so the people knew what they were doing. "Please!!" R'arian felt several hundred splinters imbed themselves in his palms.

"The grey horse yours?" Some unknown person asked from behind him.

"Yeah." R'arian was practically holding his breath.

"Think she'll win?" The person obviously didn't know anything about racing.

Stupid question. He smirked to himself as he saw her get closer and closer to the leading horse. "Without a Shadow of a Doubt."

"That's her name isn't it? You told me that once back at Kysim." The voice was suddenly familiar.

R'arian whirled to see Eden standing behind him. "Eden?" He was confused. "What? How? Why?"

The girl smiled. "I told you I wouldn't wait for you."

R'arian smiled back. "I'm glad." He took her in his arms and kissed her.

Xinleoath smiled as he watched his rider. Alasyth was laying beside him, looking golden and tempting, but the bronze knew it wasn't their time yet. He thought of mentioning to his rider that he'd missed the end of the race, and didn't know who won, but somehow he understood that R'arian didn't care.

* * *<
Read R'arian's hatchling story.
Read R'arian's candidate story.
R'arian impressed Xinleoath at Talor Cliff Weyr.
R'arian’s pictures from The Woman Says.
R'arian impressed Ren from Rohlen Hold.
R'arian received Shadow of a Doubt from Dark Moon Weyr.
Background from Myrror Images.