Golden Reflections...

[Tashe]

Days had gone by since her infirmary visit... and Aslath's flight had just recently ended, but the feelings it had induced remained with her. Unfortunately those feelings had brought back terrible memories of Benden and more importantly C'leon. Even with everyone assuring the young Queenrider that she would be alright now, paranoia had become a second nature for her. Benden wouldn't stop looking for her, she knew it, Millieth was one of the first Queen's born from a drug induced breeding and Kaegan knew far to much about Benden than they would like.

Wiping her damp eyes with a sleeve, the crimson headed girl drew her knees up to her chest and choked back more tears of frustration. Why did the Selenitas Queen have to rise so soon after she had arrived, and worse of all why did she have to draw C'leon and his dragon to her flight? Millieth almost went into a fit when she sensed the Weyrleader appear in the skies, and it had taken all of her rider's will to keep her back from tearing the Bronze and the man's hearts out.

Their appearance had only worsened Kaegan's worry, making her retreat into her Rider's Weyr, to the point of ignoring any tries to get her out by the only male one she somewhat trusted. It had been Millieth's annoyance with her that had drawn her out into the world again, the Queen had literally forced her down to the river. And now the fussy Queen had spread regally out along the bank, sunning herself in a spot that everyone could see her magnificent form. It was definitely her vanity in action.

/Millieth... I really... don't want to be--/

---

/... to be shut up in our Weyr and you'd like to thank me for bringing you to the river? Well no need to... You're welcome./

Interrupting her Mine as she began to protest like she always did, Millieth shifted her antique golden hide farther into the sunlight. Yawning slightly as her flirtatious gene throbbed because of the flight of the elder Queen, Millieth let out a large content sigh as she felt the gleam of the sun reflect off of her body. The Jr. Queen knew that now she was a Selenitas dragon, she could be as flirty as she wanted, because at Benden if she even hinted at being flirtatious... things would escalate for her rider.

But for now, her mind was on how good the sun felt on her back... though there was always a small part of it on Kaegan, even if the Golden dragon didn't like to admit it.

[evendar]

((Gunna toss Arina in, cuz they is both from Benden. :3))

Arina tossed the hides into the air, Sirca and Kio catching them deftly to save their mistress gathering them later. Not hide nor hair of Benden or Fort since that sharding Flight. Her minimal spies (three to be exact) had found nothing at all concerning Benden or Fort since the Flight. She stalked angrily down along the waters edge, her mind in an uproar. How was she to bring down Benden and Fort if she couldn't get decent information on them? Perhaps her recruits needed more training. Or she needed better sources. She needed to get some sources in the North. Perhaps D'vin would be willing to...

Arina stopped mid thought as she spotted Selenitas other queen dragon, originally a Benden dragon this Arina knew. She'd heard of the missing queen even all the way in Fort. It was a standing joke that Benden had lost one of its newest queens before they even had the chance to whip her up to their standards. Maybe the rider had something she could use against Benden. Emboldened by this thought Arina stepped forward and leaned against a nearby tree.

"So what brings you out here on a day like today, goldrider?" she asked, Sirca landing on her shoulder as she spoke, her notes in a neat pile in her claws. Kio hovered near his mistress and his green on the side, his eyes intent on the goldrider, though they whirled a happy green.

[Tashe]

The voice of a woman had brought her out of the trance like state she had entered, although lingering memories of her past still remained. What was she doing on a day like this? Hiding... or at least trying to hide away from everything and everyone. Although her personality refused to allow her to say this, so instead she brought up the truth.

"Millieth does, Miss."

Looking up from her lap to the woman, Kaegan's hazel eyes lost their sadness, that emotion had been locked away for the time being... at least until she was alone once again. From her time at Benden, she had acquired the habit of dealing with not letting a lot of her emotions show in front of people. She in fact had been taught a lesson once when she had lost controll... a very hard lesson.

Brushing a wisp of hair from her face, Kaegan returned her gaze to the ground and the shinny brass colored lump that lay curled up in her lap. The little thing stirred as soon as it sensed the flits that had surrounded the unknown female, raising powerful wings as the bronze flit took a standing position in the goldriders lap.

"Um.... and... you?"

----

Millieth had also stirred from her slight doze as the female approached her Mine, but soon returned to her sun bathing. The female was of no threat to either her or her Kaegan, so the human did not deserve her attention.

'Oh the sun feels good... I now realize how much I have missed it.'

[evendar]

"Nothing much, just taking a break." From what Arina didn't say, but sitting on the beach for a time was as good as anything for a cool down from her frustrations, and besides, she might learn something.

Sirca chirruped as she saw another flit, her ever dominant personality causing her to flit off her mistresses shoulder and onto the ground near the other bronze. Kio, being the submissive one, followed suit. Another firelizard was much more interesting than their humans.

Arina picked up the notes Sirca left in her lap as she went to talk and flirt with the bronze in the goldriders lap. "You're Kaegan, right? You came from Benden?" putting on her slightly confused face. This was the thing she was best at, pulling a disguise. She had hidden the fact that she was a mostly whole person, as well as the location and existence of her two flits for years. She was an expert of hiding her true incentive.

Her notes she put beside her, there was nothing worthwhile anyways. She'd compile them for her big book and burn the originals later. She couldn't let the identities of her recruits leak out now could she?

[Tashe]

"Oh... uh... Taking a break from work... can be refreshing." Kaegan had once been skilled in speaking casually with others, but that had been striped away and replaced with speaking to Representatives from Holds and Weyrs. If the conversation was about politics or higher responsibilities with others who were in charge of those fields, Kaegan would be able to articulate a sentance with out any pauses... but a pleasant conversation with another person was shaky ground for the Goldrider.

Watching the little flits make their way toward her, Kaegan nudged Zar out of her lap before jumping slightly as the woman asked her two questions. Glancing up from the flits only momentarily, the young woman responded in a quiet voice.

"Y-yes. I'm Kaegan of Gold Millieth... and I'm no longer a part of... that Weyr."

Chirping slightly as he was pushed from his human's lap, Azaran regained his balance on the ground, only to be greeted by the two flits that had woke him. Spreading his wings once again, the large brass flit bobbed his head kindly at the female green but only puffed out his chest at the bronze.

---

Meanwhile Millieth is still sunbathing, hoping that another dragon particularly a male, would stumble upon her. It would at least be a more interesting conversation then listening to the two humans and the three flits talk.

[evendar]

"Huh, me too." Arina said acidly, her hate for Benden not allowing her to say it with a calm face. She spat at the ground in Benden's name. "Benden. So why'd you leave? Found it to be too much? Their brutal massacre of dragons not up your ally?" It had been up hers, once. But that was a lifetime ago. She saw how truly evil and twisted the North was now. As long as those Weyrs were aloud to survive, nothing would hold Arina in her resolve to bring them down.

Kio hissed at the other bronze and moved closer to his large green. She may normally be the dominant one of the pair, but he wasn't about to let some other bronze move in on his green. Sirca gave Kio and angry chirp for being so silly and then crooned in flirtation to the other bronze.

------------------
((And Haloth comes to engage Millieth, in conversation.))

Meanwhile Haloth had been sulking since his loss of the Flight. He was happy Aslath was free of Morsrath's clutches, but he still felt down that he had lost. The fact that N'call felt terrible for his actions after the Flight didn't help his mood any either. Perhaps some time Sunning by the water would help him feel better. He glided lazily toward the shore and spotted another golden hide. It wasn't Aslath whom he spotted, but Millieth. In that instant the bronze realized she was a gold as well, and she looked lonely. And who better than to fill that lonely void than himself?

Why Millieth, what a surprise to find you here. he said in his best mock surprised voice. He settled to his haunches on the shoreline close enough that Millieth could see his scars. Aslath had admired them, why not her?

[Tashe]

The harshness in the woman's voice didn't faze Kaegan in the least, she was just to used to being berated. Glancing up from her little bronze, the young Goldrider cocked her head to the side as the flit's bronze counterpart took to conversation with her Queen. Quietly cautioning Millieth about the male's possible intentions, only to be silenced by the gold, she returned back to the sour female.

"I couldn't stand it... but... what they did to Millieth... just... pushed me over the edge."

Biting the inside of her lip as a sudden flash of memories swarmed her mind's eye, Kaegan winced as the thoughts turned into a slight headache.


Letting his wings settle onto his back, Zar snorted at the foolhardy bronze as he hissed. Not bothering to act in anyway toward the annoyance, Azaran trilled happily at the green, she may not be a Queen but something about the flit reminded him of one.

---

The loud rush of wings had alerted her to the approach of a dragon, far before the male spoke to her or landed. Waiting for the bronze to land, the Antique colored Queen slowly picked her triangular head up off of her crossed forelegs. The familiar tingling of telepathy tickled her subconsciousness a split second before the male's voice entered her head.

/Yes... what a surprise. But you have the advantage... you know of me and I know not of you./

At least it was a bronze... a brown would have been alright also, though a blue would have hardly been worth her precious time. Blue's were beneath her, and Browns were only a little better, although Styth had been interesting to flirt with... but he obviously had his mind on some other female dragon... probably one of those lowly greens.

Snorting slightly, Millieth flared her wings before resettling them onto her back. Slowly swirling blue eyes took the Bronze's appearance in regard, he was cute enough...

[evendar]

"What'd they do to her?" Arina asked, looking at the golden dragon suspiciously. Would her eggs turn out like the last clutch this Weyrs queen turned out? She'd heard of that clutch, and seen the hatchlings. Limbless, photophobic, and that one that looked like skin and bones. How awful. Benden had never done anything to her precious Keliath, except kill her. She brushed away the single tear she let slip past her visage. Keliath...

Sirca was enjoying have these bronzes fight over her. She felt like a queen when they did it. She sidled up along side Zar as if comparing the clashing of their hides to that of her and Kio. Kio only bristled at his greens actions and growled low in his throat. Sirca gave him a commanding chirp to behave and went back to her flirting.

----------------------------

I am called Haloth. the bronze said as he lowered his forelegs to lay on the shore. The sun was nice here and he flared his wings as if trying to absorb more of it. But he was really trying to impress the queen with his scars.

[Tashe]

"Things that... should never be done to a dragon... I'm not... allowed to talk about it. Miss Shmee asked me not to." Quickly drawing the back of her hand across her eyes, Kaegan made sure she hadn't started to cry again. Deep down inside, the young Queenrider hated herself for the lack of control she had on her emotions. Benden had broken her in like a wild Runner, even if in time Kaegan healed, a part of her would never be as free as she was before Impressing.

Often, the Redhead would find herself thinking that she shouldn't have accepted the request for her candidacy, but quickly she would dismiss the idea. Millieth was loving in her own unique way, and living without her would be almost incomprehensible. Sighing slightly, the young woman let her head wonder back until it softly met the tree she was sitting against.

/Millieth... remember when our Impression happened?/

A moment passed before the Goldrider got her answer.

/That pretentious green wanted you... I wouldn't let her. We fought, I won. Then we were whisked away and you forgot your manners and were slapped. Yet you still were happy to have impressed a Queen so regal as I.../

Flaring his wings slightly, half in flirtation and half showing his agitation with the other male, Azaran switched his gaze back to the green. Watching silently as Sirca compared their hides, the brass colored male crooned slightly.

---

Moving her attention from her Mine back to the Bronze, Millieth let her dancing blue eyes roam over his body. Large scars littered his body, they of course were patently caused by thread fall from earlier on in his years. Silently shifting her eyes to his wings as he unfurled them, the young Queen finally retorted to his response.

/Haloth. Hmm... Very interesting.../

Maybe she should have wished for a brown... they were at least interesting to talk to, even if bronzes were nicer to look at.

[evendar]

Of course the Weyrwoman would deny this girl to talk of anything interesting. Arina's frown of disappointment was palpable as she pondered a way around the woman's inhibitions. Perhaps...

"Oh, because I wanted to compare what they'd done to her to what happened to my darling Keliath." she said with a touch of regret and sorrow in her voice. She didn't really, she was just looking for more recent information on Benden, but pulling a sob story wouldn't hurt. She was having trouble making connections with former alliances in the North. Her information was growing stale and too many people where frightened of sending their flitters North or South since the Senior Queen’s Flight.

Kio resulted to sulking his way over to Arina, who stroked him absently. He watched as Sirca let her tail move playfully up Zar’s spine, playing along the muscles in his wings. He was so strong, so masculine.

---------------------

Do you not like it? I thought it rather, unique.[/color] Haloth remarked. This one wasn’t responding to his subtle teases as much. Perhaps a different tactic was in order.

Well, I find your name to be glorious and magnificent compared to mine. It reflects your brilliance so greatly.[/color] he said, walking his tail up hers like he had done with Aslath. That had yielded such great results before.

[Tashe]

Underneath Kaegan's meek demeanor, the young Queenrider happened to be very smart, and when the other woman kept going on about Benden a small flag flew up somewhere in the back of her mind. As far as she knew Benden had only started using and experimenting with drugs recently... did this woman loose her dragon to an incorrect dosage? Was her dragon still alive? There were so many questions, but Kaegan knew she couldn't give away much information.

"Did your Keliath... get injured ... in a skirmish between Benden and Fort?"


Chirping slightly as he brought his own tail up and momentarily slipped it under the green's chin, Azaran let his brass wings settle to his side before striking up another round of praises for the female. Her demeanor was very much to his liking, though the male was a sad example for a Bronze flit...

---

/Oh no. Haloth is an interesting name... It makes me think of the humans word for sky. Heavens was it... up there is supposed to be very beautiful./

The swirling of her eyes increased slightly, she was starting to enjoy the bronze's company, especially when he complimented her name.

/My name surely is not that great it induces such ample and exalting praise. Although the praise is very much enjoyed.../

Stretching her wings slightly, Millieth tried to draw attention to her beautiful antique gold hide. If at all her body was the thing that the young queen cherished, now that she was free from those who wanted it for just the clutch she would produce. Letting her wings fall onto the gentle slope of her back, the young Queen let the feeling of contentment start to ooze off of her. If the Bronze continued to praise her, he might actually fall into her good graces.

[evendar]

"No," Arina said looking away. What a stupid idea to bring up Keliath. She had hoped the golrider would spill her soul at just the mention of her lost dragon, now she had to dig up the memories she'd much rather repress. "She was murdered by Fort, then I made into a slave." she said quickly, hoping the shortness of her words would minimize the pain and hatred she felt, no such luck. She had a lot to do if she wanted to relearn her spy work. She couldn't let her emotions get the better of her like this.

Sirca chirruped in gratitude for the bronzes praise. He was so much better at it than Kio. Kio had been with her to long, this new bronze knew just how to treat her. Kio could take a lesson or two.

----------------------

Haloth gave a low rumble of approval at the queens show of her glorious hide. Your hide is glorious fair queen. No other compares to its beauty. he knew how to spin words, his rider was a harper after all. And your name only shows forth the greatness and beauty you possess within. he continued, not wanting her to think less of herself. This gold was much easier to flirt with, for some odd reason. Aslath had made him very nervous and wary, Millieth simply made him feel excited and prepared.