Memories... (K'nam)

[Tashe]

The sun had reached its Zenith by the time the pair had reached the bank of the river, although they way they set themselves up was exactly like the last time they had come to the river. The large Female dragon arranged herself near the water, and the rider in the middle of the warm sand. Millieth had taken on a bright gold glow, and that was what had the young woman nervous. They had said a green flight was nerve racking, but since Millieth was a gold, it had to be ten times worse. Coupled with the fact that Kaegan still didn't feel safe around men or Bronzes, the gold pair knew that this Flight would be absolute hell on Kaegan's emotions.

For now, the Junior Weyrwoman wanted to spend some time with her Queen, and in the process avoiding any males if at all possible. Kaegan really didn't want to think of the flight at hand, in fact she wanted to do nothing more than totally refuse to acknowledge the fact of the fight. But of course the signs were just so profound that the young woman couldn't get away from them, no matter how hard she tried. The glow, the more flirtatious attitude, the way the Male dragons looked at Millieth now more than ever... they were all just ominous signs for the Queenridr.

/Just enjoy the sun Kaeganmine. To day is a rest day for us./ Flicking her hazel eyes over to Millieth as she stretched her glowing body out over the sands to get more heat, Kaegan sighed slightly before slumping backward. Glad that she had pinned up her wavy red hair in a peddler's cap, the Weyrwoman wriggled down into the sand slightly, its warmth a positive assurance against her back. Something that she was extreamly glad for, it was something solid for her to rely on, even if it was just for a moment. "The sky is cloudless.... its free from all bonds and ties. I wish we could be that way Millieth, I wish we could go somewhere where we could just live without complications of... men."

Sighing once more, Kaegan closed her eyes as the warmth of the ground up earth and rock beneath her began to make her drowsy, hopefully today was the day she could sleep again. Between nightmares and the recent stress on her emotions, the Weyrwoman hadn't been getting much sleep.

[randi]

It is too nice to laze about, mine, Bearinth had informed him just a short while ago. K'nam had been thinking, brooding, perhaps. Bearinth didn't like it when K'nam got broody. Let's go do something, had been the original idea, and had evolved from just enjoying the day to a direct nudging towards the river. What better way, they had decided, to enjoy the day than listen to the river.

As they neared their intended spot, K'nam stopped walking, aware that where they had been heading was currently occupied, by a goldrider no less. There were only three he knew of, and had successfully avoided most contact with them in the past five Turns. "What do we do?" He muttered quietly at Bearinth, dark eyes closing as he thought.

See if they'll share their spot with us? Bearinth suggested brightly, causing his rider to look up at him with slight confusion. Bearinth wasn't usually very happy about new encounters, no matter who it was. He peered up at the dragon and rider again, as if looking at them long enough might give him an answer to the question he was after.

He ran his finger's through his curls, pondering. As he let it flop back into place, his eyes widened. "You little sneak. Did you do this on purpose?" He hissed quietly. The gold was giving off a lovely glow. The dragon looked down at him, drooping slightly.

You wound me, mine. He insisted, nudging at the rider gently. This was an accident, oath to my shell.

"Uh-huh, and I'm the first female bronzerider." His skepticism was evident in his voice. His arms crossed over his chest, an eyebrow raising.

I always knew there was something awry. He insisted, nudging K'nam again, slightly harder. The rider grabbed onto the foreleg, yelping slightly and cringing, looking the way of the other pair. He hadn't wanted to get their attention.

[Tashe]

Both heads turned to look toward the noise at the exact same time, each of them seeing a different member of the pair. Sitting up quickly from her resting spot, Kaegan held back a groan, it was a male pair... worst of all it was a Bronzepair. Why of all days and people did they have to stumble upon her today? Looking away from the two males meekly, the Queenrider trained her eyes on the sand in front of her and inched her hand onto a stick and began to draw a small design. She hadn't seen the Bronzerider around the Weyr before, but Selenitas was a big Weyr and there were always new people popping up. From drudges to dragonriders, Kaegan never knew when she knew everyone from her new home.

/Kaeganmine... don't worry alright. If 'it' tries anything I'll smack it with a vengeance./

Nodding very slightly but not taking her eyes off of the sand, the crimson headed woman coughed before continuing to draw. She still wasn't confident around men, and now that the effects of her glowing Queen had wormed their way into her brain, she was even more nervous around them. She knew one thing was for certain, she was going to dread the day of the flight, and the day after that one too.

=-=-=

Swiveling her head from Kaegan and back on to the Bronze, the Queen quietly purred to herself, Bronzes were always fun to be around even if they sometimes tended to be a little stuck up. Intrigued by this new male, Millieth made sure that he could see her glowing hide, moving a little so that the sun reflected off of her a little more. Slyly reaching out with her mind, the Queen spoke to the Bronze as she looked him over. /Greetings Bronze Dragon./ He was average size for a Bronze, but Millieth over looked his length after a few moments and focused on his color. He was rather quite hansom with his different colors but at the moment, any Brown or Bronze looked unusually attractive to the Queen, especially the Bronzes.

Flacking her tail slowly back and forth like a contented feline, Millieth flaunted her body in a subtle way. She knew she was going to rise soon and damn if she wasn't going to make the most of all the male attention her glow attracted. She loved talking [or flirting] with males before, but now she felt like it was a need... or rather a desire. Fluttering her golden wings, the large female stretched out her neck ever so slightly before stretching her claws out. Oh how she felt like flirting with this bronze, it was going to be fun...

[randi]

K'nam silently cursed both himself and Bearinth as the opposite duo turned to look at them. He steadied himself and looked the over, sure that he had seen them around the Weyr, though something in the back of his head gnawed gently at him. Unknown familiarity nibbled on the rider's mind, plaguing him as a minor annoyance one can't shake off.

As the goldrider refused to acknowledge him, the man blinked, but didn't really feel offended. They were intruders, unwanted, and the the pair probably wanted peace before their big day when no one was like to leave them be. "Come on," he said, halfway turning to go, but the large male was not paying attention to him anymore. K'nam gently rested his head in his hand, sighing noticeably.

Bearinth watched the gold, almost entranced. The sunlight seemed to pale when compared to the glow she emitted. As she spoke, it sounded more wonderful than a Harper's singing. Salutations, he replied faintly, drawing in his wings and observing her quietly, as if waiting for her approval.

The bronze remained silent, though only through sheer force of will. He wanted to tell her how lovely she looked, wanted to compliment her, tell her that Rukbat was just another star when compared to her, the giver of light and warmth, without which, nothing would live.

Bearinth knew that he wasn't himself. Yet, the effects of the queen were not unwanted. He rather liked the stirring inside of him, the letting down of his usual guard. He knew K'nam was not likely to enjoy this, but, at the same moment, he decided that the man could cope for a small while.

[Tashe]

Stretching her head out toward the distant bronze with a vixen like aura, the Golden Queen purred a little louder before responding to the male. /You and Your's are welcome to share this beach... that is if you want to./ Even though she was convinced that the Bronze would stay, Milleith shifted position again, into a more enticing form.

'Will you stop it! Are you trying to kill me?' Sparing only a glance down at her Mine before looking back to the bronze, the Queen answered Kaegan like an after thought. /Hush little one. Its inevitable.../

Pulling away from her human and returning to the male, Millieth sent out another tendril of though to him. /I am Millieth... and you hansom bronze?/

=-=-=-=

Millieth wasn't being fair at all, she knew that she dreaded this on coming flight and wasn't doing anything to help ease the worry. Sometimes Kaegan wondered if the Queen actually cared about her mental well fair, but then everything they'd been through together flashes across her mind, causing her to discard that kind of thought. She was just so frustrating sometimes...

/... its inevitable.../

It was true, and right now Kaegan would rather have believed in a lie than in what was truly correct. Stabbing her stick into the sand with a unhappy growl, the young Queenrider quickly wiped away the heart that she had drawn. Maybe someday she'll be more confident in the Flights that she'll have to go through, but for now she was a total ball of nerves.

Looking back toward the man who had come with a Bronze, Kaegan attempted to give him small smile, but failed horrible at looking happy. As long as he didn't think she was mad at him, it was alright with her...

[randi]

Her voice did not cease to move him. Her invitation prompted the movement of his rider once he passed on the message, nudging at the man gently with his tail. K'nam sighed lightly, though his annoyance was mostly in play. His eyes returned to her, drawn to her every feature, magnetized.

The offering of her name was unexpected, somehow. It stirred within him, lovely. The association slid into place easily, a beautiful name easily matched a beautiful female. At her use of 'handsome', he was deeply flattered, lowering his head in respect. Beautiful Millieth, I am called Bearinth, and I am deeply honored to make your acquaintence. His wings flared slightly for his bow before he rose slowly, eyes whirling with a gentle blueish green color.

---

K'nam sneaked quietly away from Bearinth, letting loose a small sigh, flashing a smile back which the bronze didn't see. Chuckling at the male, the rider paused, looking over at the rider. She'd, no doubt, be nervous. The smile she gave him made him feel sorry for her.

He decided to go talk to her, which he hoped was no a bad decision overall. He made no attempts to make it look like he was nervous about being turned away from a nice conversation, and it looked halfway convincing. False confidence was easy enough to fake, and Faranth knew he had, at one time, possessed the time to try and make this believable.

As he drew near Millieth, he stopped, looking to her, seeing if she noticed and if he had her approval to pass. One does not anger any creature without it being a necessity, or, at least, K'nam saw it that way.

[Tashe]

Although the Bronze's eyes were a whirling with a gentle green blue color, Millieth's were positively dancing with a more vivid hue. Polite, hansom and had the good wit to return her compliment with one of his own, this Bronze was slightly different than some pretentious Males. With her ego being fed another piece of fuel, the Queen fluttered her glowing golden wings happily before responding to the Bronze. /Bearinth. Such a strong name... it suits you very nicely./

Pausing to look the male over again with an approving eye, Millieth glanced down at the Human male, her interest wasn't swayed from the Dragon one bit. Turning her gaze back onto Bearinth, the large female spoke once more. /You may come closer if you wish./

---

The man was coming closer... had she sent off the wrong sign with the smile she had given him? No, no he seemed slightly nervous also, although he was trying to hide it like she had done, but as he drew closer his face became clearer. Something about his features were very familiar in her mind, but Kaegan just couldn't pin whatever it was down. Watching quietly as the Bronzerider approached, the young woman blinked slightly as he stopped a good distance away. Wondering why he had stopped, Kaegan looked from his face and followed the direction he was looking.

Now she understood why he had stopped, the man was waiting for Millieth to let him pass and come closer to herself. A lot of fears were quieted slightly by that simple polite act, he wasn't overly bold and he wasn't about to charge in and try and pick her up. Feeling a little more secure, the red head quietly withdrew her knees from her chest and crossed them in front of her. Maybe this guy really did evidently stumbled over them, the river bank was a public place after all, even if they were farther up the 'coast' than people normally went.

[randi]

Hearing the words of the queen somehow made him feel lighter. The approval of others had never really meant much to the male, but, somehow, hers did. The fair Millieth's words were more wonderful than music to his heart. You flatter me, the accusation was followed by a soft rumbling, amusement.

As her gaze drifted momentarily to his bonded, he allowed himself to look away for a few seconds as well. K'nam stood with his back straight, his head lifted, proud. He had always been that way, ever since Bearinth had been with him, and, no doubt, before. It wasn't a foolish, undeserved pride, but strong.

As she spoke again, Bearinth's eyes were drawn to her, and her glory seemed all the greater with the brief distraction. Picking up his legs, the bronze moved towards her, almost timidly, as if she might suddenly demand that he stop, send him away if he came too near.

---

When both dragons looks his way, he stood still, watching, waiting. As the golden queen looked away, K'nam took it to mean that he was allowed to go to the other rider. He ducked his head slightly in the gold's direction before approaching the other.

When he was able to get a closer look at the young woman, he stopped walking. There was something about what he could see, something that made him feel safer. Familiarity nibbled again, bubbling gently at his mind. "Good afternoon, goldrider." He said quietly, not wanting to startle her if she was easily startled.

[Tashe]

Laughing in a dragon like way, Millieth stretched her long clawed toes out into the sand before her. Yes she would flatter the bronze, and the poor male had no idea what kind of flattering she could do in this state. His amused rumbling only induced her inflamed personality more, she better get lots of compliments in return, she /was/ the glowing female wasn't she?

/So Bearinth, I have not seen you around the Weyr before.. I'm sure I'd remember 'you' if I had./ Emphasizing the you in her statement, Millieth extended her neck toward the approaching bronze, a cat like appearance had now fully adopted her form. Sleek, lithe appendages seemed to place themselves in the most perfect places, as if they had a sense of how best to show off their beauty. Letting herself glance down at her Mine for a moment before switching her eyes back to Bearinth, Millieth cooed again in contentment. Oh yes, this bronze was certainly worth her appreciation, he was one of the more better looking males of the Weyr. Although whether that opinion was generated by her approaching flight date or he was in fact one of the more handsome males, no one would ever know, it was just too hard to distinguish.

---

The closer the man got the more familiar his face felt to her, Kaegan wasn't sure whether she had know this man in the past, or known someone who had looked like him. Watching as he bobbed his head at her large Queen, the goldrider cocked her head to the side slightly as he approached her. The sense of knowing just wouldn't go away from her mind, and as the man spoke a switch snapped in the back of her mind. She did know him, Kaegan could see his face in her mind, and she knew where she had known him from. She had known this man for a short time when she was living in Benden Hold, and even though she had recalled his acquaintance with her, she could not recall his name. Hesitant to respond, Kaegan finally plucked up enough courage to respond to the Bronze rider. "Good... afternoon Bronzerider."

Her voice had matched his in tone, although she wasn't afraid that he would get startled, it was stemmed from the fact she was still wary around men. Especially the men who rode Bronzes....

[randi]

Her laughter rang around his head, more beautiful than the music of any Harper. His rumbling gently rolled from him, the bass to her melody. I have seen you. Me and mine have been at Selenitas for five Turns now, I believe. His eyes whirled as he tried to remember. We are... excellent at blending into the background. The statement had both a small ring of pride and of sorrow. Speaking to Millieth was lovely, amazing. I hope you can forgive me for not speaking to you sooner. Had I known the company would be this wonderful, I would have approached you so much sooner.

Every movement she made was filled with elegance. Even the simple extending seemed graceful, somehow. Tentatively, he continued to move towards her, Bearinth stopping his movements when he was close to her. Touching her seemed taboo, unallowed, unless permission came from this golden goddess.

---

K'nam turned his head to watch the two dragons for a moment, both curious and slightly confused. Bearinth was not one to be charmed easily, and he doubted that it was merely gold's glow that enchanted him so. When he looked back at the rider, he felt that gnawing again. Images flashed behind his eyes, of Benden Hold.

At Benden Hold, he had always been busy, always at work, mind always grinding against impossible scenarios in which he and his family might, somehow, become free from the shadow in which they lived. Yet, somehow, her face lingered in his mind, one of the many people, perhaps, that he had ignored for the sake of a busy mind. Unsure, and not wanting to bring up a sensitive subject, the rider mumbled quietly, "May I sit with you for a while?"