So bring on the rain. (Wide open)

[Rei]

Erilena’s feet sloshed through the driving rain in a quick one two step. This was one of her favorite pastimes. Dancing. What better way to release energy and stress was there. The soft rain was the music, a soft patter that was cool and welcome as her muscles started burning. Dressed in a long skirt that was now clinging to her legs and a long sleeved dark shirt that likewise clung tight to her frame. She was completely drenched, rivulets of water running down her soaked hair strands and eyelashes. Flinging herself around to her own internal music her bare feet skittered and slipped through the grass on the river bank.

Anyone who caught a glimpse would probably find her insane. Who stayed out in the poring rain to dance around like a fool? No one with any sense surely. Flinging her hair back to cast off some water the greenweyrling twirled and swung, sashayed and dipped. Farther back under the cover the trees provided Feyrianth watched hers dance with no small amount of interest. It looked like fun but the green didn’t feel like getting soaked. She was more than content to just sit and watch her bonded. Her tail tip swung back and forth like a metronome, unconsciously in tune with her bonded’s left and right movements.

With a sudden flurry of moves Erilena suddenly stopped, straightened up, and tried to catch her breath. That had been a blast but she needed a tiny rest before she continued. Shaking her head back and forth like a canine, to shed water, she called out to Feyrianth. “So how was that?”

[Kisha-Ra]

It was only a short walk, comparatively, between the main hall and the weyrling barracks, it should not have been possible to end up soaked to the skin. At least that’s what Darya kept telling herself in the vain hope that it would turn out to be true. It didn’t. Water stubbornly continued to land on her and run out of her spiky hair to drip either down her neck or in her face and her clothes remained damp, horrible, and stuck to her. If she wasn’t so sharding stubborn she supposed she would have hung around in the main hall for a while, or got Azrath to come and pick her up, but, as she was indeed so sharding stubborn, she hadn’t and Azrath remained happily in a dry weyr.

All thought of having a sudden attack of common sense and fleeing back to the sanctuary of her dry weyr, for a towel, some dry clothes, and a longer break from her paperwork were driven out of Darya’s head by a most peculiar sight. One of her students, a girl who she typically recalled first as Feyrianth’s bonded, then as Erilena, was actually dancing around in the rain. No doubt about it, she was really dancing in this. Darya shuffled under a tree that did nothing to shield her from the rain and watched mystified as the rain pattered around her.

There was some hypnotic quality to the combination of the girl’s dancing and the falling rain, one that kept the soggy weyrling master still and quiet under her tree until it was over. As soon as the girl was still Darya shuddered, shaking away both the rain and whatever kept her still. ‘Well. I’d say that proves that these kids need watching.’ Darya’s mutter turned out somewhat louder than she intended, like at normal audible level. Nice one, she mentally congratulated herself, who knows what they’re going to think of you now.

[Rei]

Beautiful as always my Lena. Feyrianth said with real excitement her eyes whirling in happy blues. Laughing Erilena bowed with a flourish and then immediately stilled as a voice became heard above the patter of the rain. Eyes widening she whirled around her wet hair smacking against her shoulder audibly. Who she faced was not who she expected, not in a trillion turns. Darya? Pushing her wet hair behind her ears the woman struggled not to blush. She would be lying if she said she didn’t feel a tad awkward. Dancing in front of her teacher was not something she would have done normally.

Feyrianth suffered no awkward feelings however and got to her feet quickly. Giving a soft croon she left the shelter of the trees to extend two wings over the bluerider. Head dipping down she watched the woman with one whirling blue eye. Hello Azrath’s have you come to watch mine dance the rain dance? She asked softly, brushing her bonded’s mind as well so she was included in the conversation. It is a very wet day, do you want to learn the rain dance to? Mine can teach you if you would like.

The weyrling fought the urge to groan as her dragon took it upon herself to offer lessons. Wringing out her hair, which really did no good since the rain was still pouring down. She took a breath and then squelched over to her dragon and the older woman. “Hi Darya. Did you need something?” Erilena queried in a friendly tone as she ducked under her dragon’s wings as well. Feyrianth was six month’s old now and, although she wasn’t huge, there was still plenty of room beneath her double right wings for the both of them. Surely her Weyrlingmaster out in the rain for some reason?

[Kisha-Ra]

Darya cringed as she realised she’d been heard, that would teach her to keep it down to a mutter when she got these urges to talk to herself. Then, as Erilena turned Darya drew herself up enough that she looked like she was hunched against the rain rather than actually feeling awkward, of course this just made more water run down her neck. So Darya was actually happy to have Feyrianth come over and extend one pair of her strange doubled wings out over her head.

‘Hello Feyrianth.’ Darya found herself smiling at the green, or at least at the whirling eye. The young dragon’s enthusiasm was infectious. ‘Not specifically, but it does have a certain hypnotic quality to it.’ She answered the dragon’s question with a rueful sort of look, hoping to convey that she really wasn’t intending to stay and watch, and that she hadn’t been here long. The next comment from the green startled a laugh out of Darya. ‘Oh no Feyrianth, I have no talent for dancing, and not enough patience to learn it.’ And even if she did want to learn Darya could hardly see Erilena being a willing teacher.

As the girl ducked under the edge of her dragon’s wings Darya attempted to catch her eye and communicate in one glance that she, too, knew the giant sized embarrassment of having a cheerfully social dragon. ‘Hello. Actually no, I was on my way from the main hall to my office, but being drenched changed my mind. I’d just decided on retreating to the safety of my weyr when I saw you.’ Darya replied without mentioning why she was stood under a tree, watching Erilena dance in the rain. It didn’t matter, with or without reasons, she still came across as strange.

[Rei]

Hypnotic? Feyrianth repeated slowly. What does that mean teachermine? Before the dragon could get a sufficient answer Darya had started laughing and the little green merely blinked in confusion. What was so funny? She didn’t remember making a funny. Maybe she did and she just didn’t remember. Content that that had to be the answer she crooned softly as she listened to the bluerider speak. Oh everyone can dance. The small dragon said with enthusiasm. Some are just not as good at it as others but my Eri says all anyone really needs is a lot of practice. I am sure you would be a good dancer if you tried. Ever positive was Feyrianth.

Erilena smiled faintly as she caught the Weyrlingmaster’s look. Yes dragons could be very embarrassing. Not that she would ever say that about her darling Feyrianth. Well at least not out loud. Wringing out her wet clothes, as well as she could while she still wore them, she gave the bluerider a pleasant smile. What did you say to that? It was a bit strange that the woman had stopped to watch her. Then again maybe not. Dancing was a type pf performance. People watched it all the time. The weyrling was just not used to people watching her. She didn’t often dance in public. Just in her own free time and occasionally at the gathers she used to attend back home.

“It’s a pretty miserable day. I don’t blame you for your decision to skip the trip to the barracks.” Feyrianth crooned softly then and angled her wing as the rain started to fall harder. Must keep the people dry yes. Looking up at the green canvas of her makeshift umbrella Erilena smiled. “Well it looks like your bound to get soaked now unless we stay here. Fey and I where just getting ready to head back to the barracks. You can walk with us and stay dry if you want.” She offered in a pleasant tone. “Then after the rain tapers off you can go back to your weyr?” Yes her teacher could be a bit unapproachable at times but that didn’t make her a bad person and Erilena didn’t really think ill of anyone. She just didn’t have it in her.

Feyrianth rumbled. Yes if you do not wish to dance I would be happy to keep you dry on our way back. She said happily, with a nudge at the older woman’s arm.

[Kisha-Ra]

In the midst of being amused at the idea of her dancing, Darya missed Feyrianth’s question, so the green would have to remain curious. ‘Ah, I do recall saying I lack the patience to learn, Feyrianth.’ Darya waggled her index finger playfully at the whirling eye. ‘I wasn’t made to dance, I was probably made to swim, which may be a good thing with all this water around.’ As she spoke Darya thought that maybe she was getting used to having strange voices bespeak her since her reaction had been to answer the young green rather than be surprised.

Darya forced down a smile as the weyrling wrung out her clothes, it seemed a pointless activity in the rain, which was the only reason Darya hadn’t tried it, well that and the fact that water would probably come out of her shirt but soak straight into her trousers, or run down into her boots. She’d been living her life long enough to know how it went by now. ‘I’ll agree wholeheartedly with that statement, I suppose we’ve had worse weather before but not for this long.’ The constant shifts in temperature and humidity were particularly annoying, Darya thought, how long was it before the whole Weyr went mad because they couldn’t sleep? Possibly quite soon if she was asking that.

Darya shifted awkwardly, it was a tempting offer and made total and complete sense, now she was soaked and still the bluerider was also shivering slightly, but she couldn’t help feeling awkward about blundering onto the scene and interrupting. ‘Well if you two don’t mind.’ A sudden gust of wind decided Darya by striking her in the legs with yet more water, which she felt was really uncalled for. ‘I certainly wouldn’t object to not getting any wetter.’ The weyrlingmaster’s hand came up automatically to rub Feyrianth’s muzzle as it poked her. ‘Thanks Feyrianth. I really do appreciate that.’ Darya said, thinking as she did that it was easy to see why Azrath liked the greens in this class, those she’d met outside of lessons were very friendly, and rather sweet.

Aware that she should be attempting polite conversation Darya turned back to Erilena with a slight smile on her face. ‘You really are a good dancer, you know. Feyrianth’s right to have such confidence in you. Have you ever thought of performing at gathers, or is it all for you own entertainment?’ She asked curiously, indulging nosiness for a moment.

[Rei]

Feyrianth rumbled at the comment about swimming. Yes there was certainly enough water. It was making the river so big! It was fun to swim in though, just not when it was raining. The hedging about dancing was dropped. She didn’t want to make her newest friend mad. Instead she tilted her wings to block the majority of the rain flow and patiently waited for the humans to decide to leave.

Erilena smiled up at her teacher as she spoke. Yes completely miserable day. Rain was nice but once it stopped the sun would come out and it would feel like you where trudging through a hot swamp. Yuck. She was all for warm weather but the humidity was awful. It made every movement feel like it took forever. Sweat seemed to live on her skin in weather like this. It was uncomfortable. There was barely any respite either. Night offered some relief but it was minimal. The humidity was still present even if Rukbat setting dropped the temp a few measly degrees. The rain spitting outside of the cover of Feyrianth’s wings suddenly seemed less attractive to the girl and she nodded as Darya accepted the invitation. “It’s no big deal really.” She said with a smile as she stroked the green hide in front of her.

Yes teachermine. I am happy to help. Feyrianth chorused and then crooned sweetly as the bluerider rubbed her muzzle. Yes teacher hers was very nice. She liked her even if she couldn’t dance. Erilena mentally nudged Feyrianth to let her know they where ready and the green strode forward with a nuzzle to Darya. The greenweyrling automatically kept pace turning to the woman beside her to catch the question.

She blushed and dropped her head. It wasn’t often that she got complements of the sort. Mostly because she hardly ever danced for an audience. “Umm well I started dancing when I was really little. Like maybe three. I have done it all my life. Normally for my own entertainment although I have danced at hold gathers before. I don’t um perform. It’s just something I like to do. I had a few people show me stuff over the years but I mainly just taught myself. It’s a good outlet for a lot of things.” Yes dancing was a good way to relieve stress. She just poured her whole heart and soul into her body and let things out. It was fun and good exercise to.

Lifting her head Erilena kept pace with her dragon, trying to avoid the majority of the puddles. “Thank you for the complement. I just normally don’t have an audience but I’m glad you liked it.” She was to. Now what? Looking up at the membrane of Feyrianth’s wings, that was currently acting as an umbrella she smiled. “She is getting big you know. Are we going to get to learn to fly soon?” The weyrling wasn’t sure what else she could ask. If Darya had any hobbies she surely wasn’t aware of what they where.