"Uh...." Serri groaned as she flopped down on her bed. Tsuki barely raised his head to acknowledge her presence before returning to his sleep. If Serri wanted to return to the weyr in the middle of the night she could at least do it quietly. Some firelizards were trying to sleep.
Serri rubbed her temples. "Ow." Everything hurt. Her back, her hands, her hair...
Serri, rider-mine, you're hair can't hurt. Dayzujeith grinned as she climbed onto her bed. Or so I'm told. I don't actually have hair so I'm not sure.
Serri smiled. "It's an expression, love. When you're so tired and worn out that even your hair hurts it means that you're -really- tired and worn out."
Are you really tired and worn out? Dayzujeith was actually worried about her rider. Are the classes too hard? Maybe I could talk to Easoth or D'tol for you.
Serri laughed. "No, I'm fine love, really. It's just...tiring. All this learning."
Dayzujeith didn't seem convinced. Are you sure? You got hit pretty hard by that firestone that Z'korso threw. He should be more careful.
Serri smiled and rubbed her weyrling's eye ridges. "You worry too much Dayzujeith. I'm not made of glass, I won't break under a little pressure." She noticed where Dayzujeith's tail was. "Unlike my telescope!" She quickly moved the white and retreived the pieces of the broken apparatus.
Sorry Serri. The white hung her head. Although she was extremely careful about her rider and what she said, placement of her body took second string. Is it broken?
Serri sighed and pushed the pieces of glass and metal onto the floor, promising to get it later. "Only a lot." She felt her dragon's sorrow, and smiled. She rubbed her dragon's head. "But don't worry about it. It's only pieces of glass and metal. I can get a new one. I could never get a new you."
Dayzujeith's eyes whirled a delighted blue. Good. We'll go get you another one. The dragon began walking towards the door.
"What?" Serri got up and chased after her. "Where are you going?"
We'll go get my saddle and we'll go to somewhere that they make....those things. Dayzujeith couldn't remember the word 'telescope' so she just pointed with her nose.
"Dayzujeith, that's crazy!" Serri stomped her foot for emphasis. "If Weyrling Master D'tol found out we'd gone to get a telescope he'd kill us. You're not supposed to between by yourself yet. Plus I've only flown on your back once! And we ended up in the lake!"
You worry to much Serri. The white continued on towards the equipment room. Luckily it was nearing the middle of the night, so people, and dragons, were scarce.
"Dayzujeith!" Serri whispered loudly, remembered the fact that she could talk to her dragon with her mind, and silently congratulated herself on her stupidity. Dayzujeith! This is wrong!
I broke your tele-sc-thingy and I'll get you a new one. The white pulled a practice saddle off it's hook and it fell to the ground with a thud.
Serri cringed. You're making too much noise!
Then come help me! The dragon bent her neck and tried to slid into the saddle. It wasn't working, but she was making enough noise to wake the betweened.
Serri sighed, made sure Tsuki was still asleep, and went to help her lifemate. If anyone finds out about this...
They'll cut us up and serve us for dinner, I know, I know. The white smirked, knowing she'd won this battle.
And we're still doing this because? Serri couldn't believe she was actually mounted Dayzujeith. This was definately -not- allowed, but what could she do? She couldn't let Dayzujeith leave on her own, and that was obviously what the dragon planned on doing if Serri didn't co-operate.
You need a new tele-thing. Dayzujeith leapt into the air, beating her wings hard to keep herself and her rider airborne. She didn't climb very high for fear of alerting the Watchdragon, but right before she disappeared Serri remembered hearing her lifemate's voice. Where does one go to get a tele-thingy?
Serri realized she'd bit through her lip as she tasted blood. They'd reappeared from between, but not over as Starcraft Hall, or even Talor Cliff. Love! Serri recognized her old home. This is Adanuk!
It is? The white was amazed. Wow!
How did we get here? Serri was getting a little worried. What would Weyrwoman Magika say if she saw her here?
Well, I started flying, then I went between, then we reappeared. And Magika would probably say hi. Can we see her?
Serri tried to refrain from panicking. Are you trying to tell me that you had no idea where we were going in between? You were just hoping we'd come out somewhere? Serri wrapped her hands tightly around the reins, as if that could banish the facts of their first joint trip.
No. I knew we'd come out somewhere. I thought you were supposed to be thinking of where we were going. The white was a little frustrated that her rider hadn't properly communicated their destination.
"Land! Now!" Serri began speaking out loud, firm in her descision. "Right now! We're going to have Magika take us back to Talor Cliff and then we're going to explain to Weyrling Master D'tol and Weyrwoman Falora and..." Serri's sentance was lost in the darkness of between. When the reappeared over Talor Cliff, Serri's mouth had ice in it. "Ah!"
Sorry, but I was pretty sure I could get back here by myself. And I didn't want to get you in trouble. Dayzujeith began landing in a field, far enough away that the Watchdragon couldn't see them.
"You didn't want to get me in trouble?!?" Serri couldn't believe it. "You come galavanting out here, between us away to Adanuk and you didn't want to get me in trouble?!?" Serri dismounted with a sigh. She muttered to herself. "Didn't want to get me in trouble, pah!" She stopped suddenly, remembering something. She whirled to face Dayzujeith. "Pretty sure!?! Pretty sure you could get us back?!? What if we'd ended up somewhere where we don't know where we are?!?"
We didn't, so don't worry. The white smiled and laid down.
"Funny. Don't worry. You could have betweened us to oblivion and you say don't worry." Serri sat down beside her lifemate and leaned against the white.
You worry too much Serri. The white nudged her rider with her head.
"You give me a lot to worry about, love." Serri smiled. "And I wouldn't trade it for the world. Let's stay outhere until sunrise. We can sneak back in just after the changing of the watch...say we were out for a late night walk. They should believe us." Serri yawned as she rested beside her lifemate.
Dayzujeith looked up at the night sky. Serri, name the stars for me again.
Needless to say, when they finally returned to the Weyr, Weryling Master D'tol was not pleased about their absence at morning lessons.
Serri impressed Dayzujeith at Talor Cliff Weyr.
Tsuki's picture is from Honshu Weyr.
Serri’s picture from Caleah’s Anime Avatars.
Background from Jolie Joyau’s Web Designs.
