A'ran and
Ceissa
Falas Weyr was closed. All the clutches had hatched, the
hatchlings and riders had been moved to another, deserted Weyr, and Falas was
abandoned, covered by concealing mists.
For A'ran and Ceissa, this meant that
they had nowhere to go. Eventually, it was decided that the two friends would
split up, with their separate dragons, and explore different Weyrs. After a
final, teary-eyed goodbye on Ceissa's part, she waved farewell to her old
childhood friend as he sat on the back of his blue dragon. With a pat on her own
green's neck, she told Naith to go between.
A
few sevendays later, the green dragon and rider ended up at Draco's Inferno
Weyr, where it looked like they would be staying for a while. Ceissa was not
willing to go Weyr-hopping with a proddy green.
I am not
proddy! Naith insisted as she
snapped at Ceissa's green flit, Senih, who was darting around the dragon's head
annoyingly.
"Uh huh." Ceissa said, obviously not convinced. Senih crooned as
she landed on the nineteen-turn-old's shoulder, and Ceissa reached up to stroke
the fire lizard's head as she regarded her dragon skeptically. She glanced some
of the local males eyeing the dragoness discreetly and shook her head. "Well,
I'm going to go talk to the Weyrleaders anyway, and see if they'll let us use
their sands."
Naith just plopped down onto the ground. Hmmph. You're just wasting your
time, because I'm not going to rise. Besides, I'd have thought you would want
Onoeth and A'ran to be here, wouldn't you? She added mischievously.
Ceissa stopped as a slight
blush colored her face. "And what do they have to do with anything? I like A'ran
as a friend, but nothing more."
Uh huh. Now it was Naith's turn to be skeptical.
A'ran
and Onoeth eventually ended up on another world, in a place called Calyeni
Caverns. A'ran knew they would be delayed when he found Onoeth draped on a
ledge, staring wistfully down at the snowflake-speckled green dragoness bathing
in the lake. A normal green dragon lay on the shore nearby, by A'ran's love
struck blue dragon had eyes only for the flurry green-white.
A'ran just
rolled his eyes and grinned at the blue. "What's her name, Onoeth?" He chuckled,
looking at his dragon's startled face as he turned to his
rider.
Well...I
haven't actually talked to her yet...He said, hanging his head sheepishly, causing A'ran to
burst out laughing.
"Faranth, my dragon's shy around women." He laughed. "So
I guess you're more the 'secret admirer' type, eh?"
A'ran had a strong
suspicion that had the blue dragon been able, he would have blushed. As it was,
his eyes whirled faster and he looked away from his bond. I...I'll go down later, and talk to
her. Then I'll tell you all about her, okay?
A'ran only nodded, still fighting back giggles at
his dragon's predicament.
Later, A'ran sat on his bed set up in their
temporary living quarters while they were staying at Calyeni. The sound of giant
flapping wings outside alerted the bluerider to his dragon's return. He jumped
up, running out to meet the blue.
Onoeth's eyes were whirling violently with
blues and greens. I
actually talked to her, A'ran!
He burst out happily, causing A'ran to grin. She's perfect! Her name's Akshaeth, isn't that
great? The blue dragon sighed.
A'ran coughed, covering up a particularly vicious strain of giggles.
Onoeth
glared at his rider, and he, thankfully, shut up. The love-stricken blue dragon
continued, starry-eyed. Besides, her rider is a green dragon. You know, the one
who was beside Akshaeth earlier?
A'ran nodded, more than a bit confused. That's Kshatarieth.
A'ran frowned. "What's that got to do with me,
though?"
Onoeth glanced at his rider slyly. Well, this way, Ceissa won't be mad
at you when we meet them again, even if I do win.
A'ran's cheeks colored slightly as he carefully hid
his discomfort. "And whatever makes you say that!?"
Onoeth just rumbled in
laughter, and didn't
answer.
