Three winged headaches. (Tags; Tashe!)

[glamourie]

"Don't fight, don't fight, don't fight, stop -"

Rawign positively flailed at Beggar and Roxie. The hatchling was reared back and hissing at the adult blue firelizard, who was snapping up a piece of meat contentedly that he'd stole from her. Rawign swatted at him irritably before offering another piece to the green, who curled possessively around it as though she was afraid that Beggar would take it from her. Such was a very real possibility, unfortunately, and Beggar was not hungry! Exasperated, Rawign sat between the two, Roxie on his right side, Beggar on his left, and fed them individually with a scowl on his face. There was no reason for Beggar to be behaving so rudely, but he hated to see any other firelizard receive more attention than him. After two pieces of meat, though, the blue turned and spat at Roxie and Li (the bronze had been sitting on Rawign's shoulder quite contentedly ignoring the other two, something he continued to do even after being spat at) before flying over to perch on a rock nearby. Angry.

Once that hand was free, Rawign offered another strip of meat from the bowl over to Li, who took it gracefully. Compared to the agitated little green, who spat back at Beggar in defiance, and the angry adult blue, Li was downright quiet. He nudged Rawign's chin in thanks, but otherwise continued to watch his clutchsister and Beggar, as if they amused him. Perhaps they did.

"You three are going to give me a whopping headache," the candidate decided as he finished the handing the meat out to the two firelizards nearest to him. Fed and content, Roxie flew over to perch opposite her clutchsibling, curled up against the base of Rawign's neck. She did not wrap her tail around his throat, though, for Li's tail was there and she had learned not to try and fight him for that position. He didn't fight back. He just didn't move. "I hope you realize that. Honestly, you're all very spoiled and Beggar, you know better. You're acting like a hatchling."

Spit. Clearly, Beggar disagreed, ruffling his wings in agitation. What a crew the four must have made, sitting on the river's edge. Rawign had his knees pulled up slightly, a firelizard on either shoulder and an empty meat bowl at his side as he peered at the blue on his rock. It was early evening but still bright outside. Many people were inside for dinner, and that made it appealing to sit around at the river. Normally, it was simply too crowded, and Rawign did not like having to deal with his firelizards in front of people. For some reason, the mob of three seemed to attract attention. What, hadn't people seen flitters before? Harumph. And the attention made Beggar fly around in hopes of food, which annoyed Roxie who felt he was being silly, and left Li watching them as if they were ridiculous and Rawign frantically flailing to stop Roxie from chasing Beggar down and biting him. In the end, it simply wasn't worth it. Fortunately, Beggar was rather independent, and Roxie slept most of the time. Evenings at the river were peaceful... well, when Beggar didn't decide to pick a fight by stealing Roxie's food. Honestly!

Turning back to Li, Rawign raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I owe you thanks," he said quietly as he brushed one hand down the bronze's side. "I keep saying 'you three' but you always sit there, so quiet, never seem to bother anyone." Recognizing the praise, Li fluttered his wings appraisingly before giving a simple, quiet chirp, as if to agree with the statement. Rawign had learned in the short time that they'd broken shell that Li seemed to feel that gossiping and bickering was beneath him. And Roxie had to win every argument. She reminded him of someone... hmph. Beggar, on the other hand, seemed jealous. He had no reason to be, but that didn't change it. And ... Li was staring behind him? Blinking at the firelizard in curiosity, Rawign turned to look over his other shoulder only to see Roxie, sound asleep. Well, shards. What did Li see, approaching them from behind...?

[Tashe]

Almost as if on a preordained cue, a large bronze flit burst out from the tree line in clear agitation and fear. Screeching in an indubitable warning to all flits in the area, the Brassy male pumped his wings harder as is furious pursuer burst from the border with an angry roar. It took only a moment for the dragon to correct it's course and continue after the flit, and when a forty foot female came thundering after you you'd better had enough sense to run- or fly- as fast as you could. Streaking past the three flitter's and their Theirs, the large bronze shrieked once again before turning out over the water and trying to find a wind current. The male was beginning to loose energy and soon he'd only be running on fumes, but that happened to be much better that getting himself caught by the vicious Queen.

---

Snarling as she followed the little pest down the shoreline after breaking through the tree line, the humongous female took only a few moments to reach the Quartet that had previously occupied the beach. Launching herself over the human and fitters in a precisely calculated jump so as not to hit them, the Antique colored Queen took a few more strides before launching herself into the air with a roar. If she got her claws on that sharding creature of constant pain in her side, it wouldn't be a pretty sight, he had annoyed her for the last time!

/AZARAN! YOU BETTER FLY YOU DAMN PAIN IN THE ASS! I'M GOING TO RIP YOU TO SHREDS AND THEN FEED YOU TO THE WHERS!/

Snarling as she began to over power the flit, Millieth cursed constantly at the little male as he preformed sharp turns that only his little body could preform.

---

After the chaotic hurricane swept over the shore line like a sudden burst of wind, a tall lean looking woman stumbled out onto the beach, panting from her exhausting chase. If the young woman hadn't been terribly tired from running, she might have looked rather beautiful, instead of a pretty wreck. Lush crimson hair had come loose from the Runnertail that it had been pulled into and small wisps of it fell into the woman's tan colored face. Her tunic and riding breaches looking absolutely disheveled drew the mind away from her hazel green almond shaped eyes.

Leaning over and trying not to grow light headed, the young Weyrwoman paused for a moment before forcing her feet to move forward once more. Unlike her dragon counter part, Kaegan took a minute or so to cover the forth of a mile that only took the Golden female a few strides to traverse. Knowing that a rosy color had risen to her cheeks from the running, Kaegan continued to pace her breathing as she passed the boy and his flits. Giving him a guilty glance as she flew by, the agile woman brought herself to a halt about twenty meters away. Breathing heavily and bending over so that she could inhale better, Kaegan let her mind whip out to her dragon.

/MILLIETH! Leave Azaran alone! Please don't hurt him, he was only trying to get you to come with him!/

[glamourie]

What in the world -- why, that little firelizard looked panicked! Almost as if instinct took him over, Rawign sprung to his feet, ready to chase the little bronze when both Roxie and Beggar vanished between, the little green startled awake in terror from the sound of the bronze's shriek. Li was slightly more bold, and he did not disappear, though he did cringe close to his humanpet and actually trembled, his body half-hidden beneath the boy's long black hair. But it wasn't long before Rawign found out exactly why the firelizard looked so terrified, as barreling after him was one of the queens, and her presence was all it took to make Li actually hide in Rawign's hair. Not that Rawign was in a much better state for he physically froze, his eyes the size of saucers, fixated on the queen before he actually fell over to the side. He didn't faint, but he was very close to it as he lay half-sprawled on the ground again, his head whirling from nothing short of unabridged terror. The queen in question continued past them but Rawign's gaze was not on her any longer, but where she'd been, no doubt fixated by total and indescribable shock. A queen just jumped over him. A large queen. An angry queen. An angry queen dragon.

So it was that he completely missed Kaegan's arrival. He was too busy staring in shock, trying to remind himself to breathe. Inhale, exhale. For what it was worth, she hadn't mangled him in her fury so that must have been something, right? Right. And he was shaking like a leaf. He'd been frightened before, it was a wonder he didn't actually get sick or faint from the terror he felt, and the only thing keeping him awake was an awareness that she must have been chasing that little terrified bronze. He felt sorry for the little creature; why didn't it just go between and hide? Unfortunately, his worry for the bronze firelizard took Li by storm and the terrified hatchling gave a determined squawk before flying at top speeds after the golden female. It was only Li's behavior that stirred Rawign out of his terror as he sprung to his feet and took off in a mad dash after his firelizard, still completely missing the Junior Weyrwoman's presence.

"LI! DON'T! CAN'T YOU SEE SHE'S ANGRY? DON'T!" he called after the bronze, as his blue and green arrived back on the rock Beggar had earlier habited. They curled up together, both shaking in terror, though Roxie recovered quickly enough to screech her disapproval after Li and Rawign. But the boy did not give them much of a second thought - he couldn't bear the thought of Li getting hurt. The fact that he didn't stop made Beggar and Roxie both spring to wing and fly over to Kaegan, chattering their desperation to her in hopes of her convincing either the queen or their person to stop - or maybe Li too. Loud were both of the firelizards in their terror, eyes whirling rapidly, and their fear only heightened the anxiety Rawign felt.

Li, on the other hand, swept right up to the queen before chittering desperately. Some firelizards were demanding - but he wasn't one of them. He was clearly trying to reason with the large queen, begging her not to harm his fellow bronze, or at least to calm down some. His eyes whirled as he darted around after her, flaring his little wings and creeling with obvious distress. He wanted the large queen to calm down, please, please!

From behind him, Rawign flailed, calling out aloud to his little bronze, "Li, don't do that! She's upset, leave her alone, please don't - I couldn't bear it if I lost any of you, what are you thinking?!" However, the movement revealed the queen's shadow over the lake and he looked up at her slowly, as if realizing she was there for the first time... and then he turned to his side, for he'd stopped accidentally right next to the queen's rider. His hysteria actually made him turn back to her. "She won't hurt him, will she? He's just a hatchling, he doesn't know any better!" He'd probably regret his indiscretion, but his actual fear had over-rode propriety... for the moment.

[Tashe]

The surprise of the boy appearing next to her was dwarfed by her annoyance at both of her charges, Queen or not, Millieth was going to be in big trouble. Turning angrily to the owner of the bronze flitter, Kaegan planted her fists firmly on her hips before glancing between the boy and the fight going on over the water. "Don't worry, your flit will be fine, leave it to me. But if I were you I'd step back... unless you want an angry forty foot Queen barring down on you." Quietly watching as the young man moved away from her side as if even the thought of a Gold turning on him made him jump, Kaegan turned her attention back to the problem at hand. Lifting a hand to tap her temple, the young woman began to run scenarios through her advanced mind, until she came up with one that suited her needs the best.

Extending her hand toward the water, the queenrider slowly puckered up some courage before shouting with the most commanding voice she had ever had to use. "AZARAN! HERE. NOW." Silently rooting for the little bronze as he finally broke away from his chaser, Kaegan opened her arms as the little male came barreling toward her. Cursing under her breath as she stumbled backward as Azaran flew into her, the junior weyrwoman closed her arms around the bronze protectively before watching her Queen skid forward onto the sands before looming ominously over her rider. Flinching slightly at the deep throated snarling, Kaegan tried to glare up at her antique colored queen. /Millieth you WILL leave Azaran alone! I won't let you hurt my flitter!/

---

The flight had taken her over the water, but that was no problem for her, the little firelizard was just barely avoiding her jaws and she knew he was hers. That was until her Mine called the little shard of a flit to her, one of her few moments of rash decisioned boldness. Growling unhappily as the few wing beats she put forth sailed her to the shore, Millieth took a few paces before striding up to her Mine and snarling, all the while listening to what she said.

/You actually have back bone! But if I were you I'd give me that sharding bronze!/

The moments a long mental arguments had to be frightening, with both Queens bristling and growing more tense as the moments rolled on. Determination and anger seemed to roll off of the pair in waves, and the stand off continued undesturbed... Until the Golden dragon suddenly snorted in contempt and broke off her stance. All tension between the two seemed to dissipate and resolution took its place, for apparently the Weyrwoman had convinced the Queen to back off her attempt on her flits life. With a loud and feminine sigh, Kaegan meekly strode up to the young man hoping his hatching bronze had returned safely to him.

"Um... I hope... your little one isn't hurt. I'm very sorry... I hope you can forgive me and Mine." As the anger backed off into a small corner, the young rider's stance totally changed. Instead of the straight backed woman who had just faced down an angry Queen, here stood a girl who looked as though she was actually expecting to be hit by the man for endangering his flit.

[glamourie]

At the Goldrider's instruction, Rawign stepped back with a curt nod, moving quite a ways away from her. His eyes were on the firelizards flying about, until the familiar bronze blur he recognized to be Li vanished between. Moments later, the little bronze, still trembling, reappeared on his pet's shoulder and nudged Rawign's chin affectionately. Half-swooning from the worry that overtook him, Rawign wound his arms tightly around his firelizard, removing him from his shoulder in order to cuddle the creature. Li trilled his appreciation and concern for Rawign, as well as chirping repeated apologies for having upset him so severely. The sight of the queen and her rider having what was clearly an argument was lost on Rawign in the waves of relief that flew over him and he resisted the urge to launch into an all-out tirade. Li was just a hatchling, what was he thinking? Like a queen dragon would listen to anyone but their rider, let alone a bronze firelizard small enough to barely be described as a mouthful. Ridiculous. Brave though the effort was, Rawign couldn't help but want to poke Li for his nerve. Fortunately, he didn't. He just hugged the firelizard, his heart still thudding in his throat. At least he was okay.

Beggar and Roxie settled nearby on a rock to watch their person cuddle Li. Quietly, Roxie took to scolding, though the bronze paid her no mind as he wallowed in the attention he received. The green was always scolding the two male firelizards, as if she thought she was in charge. And Li was nice enough not to disillusion her, most of the time. For the moment, nothing seemed to matter to Rawign. His little hatchling was okay. The idea of Li getting hurt terrified him down to the pit of his stomach, the core of his being. His relief was indescribable.

It wasn't until she spoke that Rawign recalled the presence of the goldrider and her queen at all. Almost apologetically, he looked up, only to move Li to his hands and hold him out for her to look at. The little bronze was still shaking, but the reassuring chirp he gave made it clear he wasn't hurt at all, and he even went so far as to trill over to the dragon, as if to state that he was glad she'd calmed down. Silly thing. Rawign pulled him back a moment later and went back to lavishing attention on him in the form of gentle caresses and cooing, though he answered softly enough, "Li is fine. He's just startled. I think he was worried more for your bronze and your queen than anything else. I hope she's not offended - I don't think he meant any insult, and I certainly didn't. And neither of you owe any of us an apology. Well, except Roxie. She's insulted there's a female larger than her nearby, but she'll get over it. She'd be mad if I didn't say her opinion, though, I think." Roxie chirped, confirming her pet's stance. She'd get him trained yet.

The terror he felt at the queen's rage returned in full force, though, easily chasing away most of his worry for Li, and the bronze snuggled up to his neck to try and reassure him. Roxie and Beggar flew over to perch on Rawign as well, both rubbing their finely cared-for hides against his cheeks as if they could chase any of his doubts away. But his eyes were on Kaegan and the way she almost seemed to cower. His eyebrows raised to his hairline, and his fear was doubled by a feeling of guilt. "Are you both okay...? Is it proper for me to ask that? I don't mean to over-step my position..."

[Tashe]

Some of the tension in her shoulders relaxed when the candidate mentioned that his little bronze was right as rain, and even more dropped when Kaegan let her eyes wonder over her own. Luckily Azaran was large and strong for a flit, but it was slightly strange that he could play keep away from a Queen dragon as long as he had done. But that wasn't the biggest thing on the Junior Weyrwoman's mind at the moment, equally split into three parts, her attention was with her flit, the boy and her dragon. Slowly relieving her mind of stress as she quietly felt over her Bronze, the crimson headed girl sighed slightly before looking back to the young man. He had said something... though what he had spoken escaped her knowledge for little less than a fleeting moment.

Smiling slightly, Kaegan cocked her head to the side only an inch before she replied to the Candidate. "I'm glad that your little one wasn't injured... and to answer your first question, yes we're both okay. " Pausing lift up her Bronze so that he could puff out his valiant chest, the Weyrling Weyrwoman chuckled quietly before placing Azaran on her shoulder and letting him crawl under her hair to nest and rest. "As to your second question and then the comment, yes its fine to ask that and no you didn't over step your position... I'm not exactly a weyrwoman yet. Soon I will be though... thanks to Miss Shmee and my new life here."

(Horrible horrible tag... D:)

[glamourie]

[ Sorry for taking so long. O.o I got slammed with posts! XD ]


Rawign smiled at the other little bronze, as Li turned to look at him and chirp curiously. The candidate glanced down at the little firelizard, who curled around his hands, then otherwise ignored the rest of his pet's fair. Li was not social by any means, though he would acknowledge others when spoken to. But other firelizards were typically ignored by him, except under dire circumstances. The little bronze was eyeing the gold dragon in interest, though, as if she was the most fascinating thing that Li had ever seen. Given the size difference, odds were that his little flit could barely make out most of the queen's form and thus he likely only really saw a bunch of gold hide. He could tell that Li was confused, and recognized Millieth for what she was, but still didn't understand why she was... well, so very large. The little firelizard was watching her in interest, clearly trying to grasp the strange difference between their sizes.

"Weyrwoman or not, you're a dragonrider, a goldrider at that; whether you possess the title or not does not change your position," Rawign said quietly with a nod toward the queen... though he did edge another step away, giving her more space. He was frightened of dragons, terrified really, and no part of him could fathom the idea of being so close to one so very large. Queens were the largest and she wasn't exactly small for a queen, to his knowledge. He backed up another step, trying to play it cool and appear discreet, although it was probably very obvious how and why he wasn't exactly at ease. "And I would never disrespect any dragonrider intentionally. Has she calmed down then?" He nodded toward Millieth, casually. "I hope that Li didn't annoy her too badly. He doesn't like seeing queens distressed. Any queens, apparently, not just firelizards..."

Cursed flit! He had to go chasing after the queen. If he hadn't, Rawign could have sat, terrified, on the ground while her rider dealt with all of it, but nooo, the little bronze was nosy and worried about his fellow flitter. Though, apparently his worry had subsided completely, since he did not so much as glance at the older bronze as he curled up in Rawign's hands, tail winding down his arm, wings spread at his sides. Trust the firelizard to focus on the dragon, ugh.

[Tashe]

"And what a great goldrider I am..." Sighing under her breath slightly and running a hand through her crimson curls, Kaegan turned her attention back to the candidate who stood before her. Noticing he had taken a few steps back, the Junior weyrwoman shrugged slightly and spoke to Millieth, before speaking out loud again. "If you could ever consider her calm then yes for the most part, as long as I keep Azaran away from her she'll be absolutely fine. And don't worry, Millieth didn't even notice your little bronze... she was to concerned with eating Zar to realize that he was even there." Pausing for a moment as she felt her Queen move farther down the beach to sun herself, Kaegan smiled slightly and continued. "But it was a nice gesture anyways... Zar was trying his best to keep her attention on him so she didn't take out her frustration on your little one."

Bending over slightly as the pain in her side increased, the young woman took a moment to breath before straightening up again. "I guess I'm out of shape... But anyways, I'm Kaegan of Golden Queen Millieth and my little firelizard is Azaran. Its nice to meet you even... even if it is under unusual circumstances."

----

Still annoyed by Azaran, Millieth made her way down the beach at the suggestion from her rider. Maybe sunbathing would help to cool off, it certainly was a rather enjoyable activity to do, and it felt great against her smooth hide. Closing her eyes to the world and spreading her wings out, the golden Queen adjusted herself so that the rays of the sun hit her where it felt most relaxing. Although not all of her mind had cooled off, for Millieth was keeping constant contact with her Mine, she didn't like the idea of her being alone with a man.

[glamourie]

Rawign tilted his head, only just slightly, and regarded Kaegan for a moment. What did she mean by that...? Wait. She was from the north, wasn't she? She'd Impressed at Benden. His eyebrows raised to his hairline, an almost recognition coming over his face, though he guarded it. Rawign could think of very few women in the north who had much in the way of self-esteem and the few he could count were ones not in any position of power. Women weren't supposed to be powerful. A queenrider definitely counted as that. She sounded insecure; she didn't need to be. "I know who you are. I make it a point to recognize every dragonrider's name, and their dragon's. My father taught me that dragonriders should all be respected," he explained with a shrug, though he was still eying her almost curiously. "Especially queenriders. Millieth is more beautiful up close than from afar. You were brilliant, calming her down that way. I don't think you're out of shape. Even I couldn't have kept up with how fast she was moving, and I know I'm not out of shape. I like running around a lot. So don't worry about it. I'm just glad that Li didn't offend her. He means well but he seems to forget he's just a little firelizard sometimes."

Hmm, that sounded surprisingly eloquent, considering he was still on the verge of running away from the large golden female. Kaegan didn't frighten him much. In a way, she reminded him a little of Religna, or how Religna was when he met her. She seemed soft-spoken, a little insecure, yet unwilling to completely back down from anything. Which, he supposed, explained why she was a queenrider. In his experience, dragons had a reason for choosing who they did. Not that he knew very many dragonriders very well.

"I'm Rawign. That's Li." He nodded to the bronze flitter hatchling. "The little green's Roxie, and her compatriot there is Beggar. I'm amassing a firelizard army..." Shaking his head, Rawign took a step back to look down the shoreline at where Millieth went. The further away she was, the less frightened he felt. All the time he'd spent at the Weyr, and he was still terrified of dragons. It didn't help that Millieth was the largest he'd ever been close to and she'd just - just - just leaped right over him like he was nothing more than a plaything. Talk about cutting one's ego down to size. Insignificant enough that he was little more than a bug to be crushed beneath some far greater entity. How... wonderfully poetic he was becoming. Really. "It's nice to meet you as well. And your Azaran. I'm very glad he's okay..."

Rawign trailed off, watching Millieth the entire time, before finally asking what was on his mind. "Is she always so..." He paused, bit his tongue, and thought about the right word for a moment before adding, "... excitable?" It wasn't the term he'd have liked to use but anything else sounded more insulting than it was meant, true description though it was due to her behavior already that day.

[Tashe]

"Then your father should be one that is respected himself..." Pausing to rub the pain in her side, Kaegan was glad to see that the boy had at least taken the explanation she offered for not feeling well. "I wouldn't let Millieth hear you say that, she absolutely soaks up any comment about the hide she makes me take care of so vigilantly." Letting a genuine smile flash across her face slightly, the young woman continued to listen to the boy talk. When Rawign's comments brought up his Flitters, the Weyrling Queenrider let her eyes wonder over to the two others that had settled themselves upon a rock not to far off. He was indeed collecting a nice number of firelizards, but she had encountered more than three on her last trip to the Weyrlingmaster's weyr. Two blues, two greens and her bronze had made their home in his house before he chased them away back to their proper owners, the two blue's to his foster, and the greens to his brother and cousin.

"Brilliant? No that was pure luck... really the first time I ever got mad enough to stand up against her." It wasn't that Kaegan felt insecure with the boy, it was just that within the year and a half she had spent at Benden, fear of any and all men was bred into her. It was a habit and a feeling she'd never be able to shake, and the fact that Millieth was due to fly soon was not helping her at all. Tugging thoughtfully at a curl in her crimson hair, the Queenrider almost giggled at his last question that pertained to her gold. "Excitable? No... but she's always volatile. Easily angered, snobby and very, very proud and commanding."

[glamourie]

His father was respected, though Rawign did not point that out. His father was, in fact, a rather talented fisher in Nerat and therefore was often treated with respect, though not the reverence that dragonriders or Lords received. But among his craft he received a certain amount of recognition. It wasn't fame nor anything close, but Rawn would never have wanted any of that. The man wasn't the type to expect people falling over themselves in idolization of him. No, he liked his quiet respect among his group. He'd probably have been stunned to hear a goldrider - any goldrider - say something like that, though. Rawign was. In his experience, ranking dragonriders all knew their worth. No, there were friendly ones among them, riders who deserved consideration and respect, but they all seemed to know their worth and what their rank demanded. Except for that one... she seemed almost... to forget what being a goldrider meant. They were called Queens for a reason. Or maybe it was just how Rawign was interpreting...?

"She deserves compliments. She's lovely," Rawign replied with a light shrug. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it." He wouldn't say anything at all, if he didn't think highly of something. Rawign didn't like being negative. He went out of his way to try and keep most confrontational remarks to himself. His eyes followed Kaegan's hand to her side, but he didn't ask. She'd said she felt out of shape. Running like she had, he probably would too... but the way she seemed to emphasize made him wonder if she was hurt. He didn't ask, because he didn't think it was his place. He had on Healer knots. If she wanted help, she'd ask him. Women, unlike men, could usually be counted on to ask if they had a problem.

His eyes lingered on Millieth. She was a pretty gold, that was for sure. He was tempted to say something else about that, but Kaegan answered his question and he smiled. "Volatile is a good word. Better'n mine." He turned back to her and folded his hands behind his back thoughtfully. "She's definitely interesting. I've never had a full-grown dragon leap over me like that before. The closest I've been was when I was Searched." He did not add that he'd been downright terrified Millieth would turn around and eat him for existing. That wouldn't do. Her description of Millieth made him laugh, his head bowing. "Sounds like a queen. I'm sure there's more to her than just that. I know someone who fits that description well... Her name starts with an M too... ironic really. Is it improper to ask exactly what happened to upset her so very much?"

[Tashe]

It was true that she didn't know how to act like a true Goldrider of old, like Shmee, Kaegan only knew how to act like a Benden Queen. And Benden had taught her that she was nothing but a tool to the bronzeriders, golds were like greens to them, but much more pleasurable and rare. Although as soon as she had arrived at Selenitas, the young runaway promised herself that she would never be like she had at that hateful Weyr. In fact, Kaegan knew next to nothing on how a Weyrwoman should act personality wise, but on the other aspects she was at the top. Fluent in the diplomatic language and running of the domestic properties of a battling weyr, the young Weyrwoman couldn't be any better at it for her age.

"She is pretty, I'll agree with you on that. But where there is a rose there are always thorns... in this case claws." Rubbing her arm and trying to get rid of an itch, Kaegan let her own eyes wonder over to Millieth. Soon she would rise, and that knowledge scared the young woman to no end, even though she knew that Selenitas wasn't at all like Benden. Retracting her eyes from her Queen, Kaegan spoke again to Rawign. "Oh my. Did she really jump over you? Well at least she noticed you were there, would have been bad if she hadn't."

Feeling Azaran fall out of her hair, the Weyrling Weyrwoman caught her bronze before he went past her shoulder. The silly flitter trusted her to no end, and Kaegan was absolutely fine with it. As long as he didn't do something stupid. Scratching her second metallic between the eyeridges, the young woman smiled down at him before looking back up at the healer candidate. "Well if there is I haven't seen it yet. And to tell you the truth, I really don't know whats proper or not over here yet." Shrugging slightly, Kaegan watched as Azaran rolled around in her hands before sitting on them with his wings flared slightly, watching Rawign with suspicious eyes. "Well Azaran and Millieth have conflicting points of view... so I'm betting that he said something that pissed her off. He most likely insulted her again. I really wasn't paying attention to either of them before they started the chase."

[glamourie]

"Thorns don't make roses any less ought after or appreciated, nor any less beautiful. It's the danger that draws people. Like brightly colored insects as a warning to their danger; the more beautiful, the more you should be careful and treat with respect," Rawign pointed out softly, though that would be the end of his compliments. Millieth was a beautiful queen, of that there was to be no doubt, but she likely heard everything he said on a regular basis and he sounded as though he was trying to earn her good graces, which he wasn't. While he would not have wished the idea of Millieth's anger on himself, he did not intend to try and garner himself much notice in the eyes of any dragon let alone a queen. He was still privately frightened of them. Queens and bronzes most of all, really.

Not that Millieth had helped that impression. Her barreling past him at top speeds, jumping over him as though he was little more than a rock in her way, frightened him. His heartbeat was still in the process of slowing to normal and while he held no grudges against the queen (for how could he when she'd done nothing wrong?), he was more than a little put-off. It was a wonder he hadn't run away yet, tried to escape the young woman as though she was the most terrifying thing in the world. Her queen was. But Kaegan herself wasn't; in fact, Kaegan seemed... almost tame in comparison to many of the women at the Weyr and he found it easier to talk to her. "She did indeed jump over me. Beggar and Roxie were frightened. Li too, but he didn't try to fly away. He thinks he's a dragon, my Li does. I don't know what he'll do if I manage to Impress. Sulk, most likely, he's good at that. She didn't hurt us though.."

He shrugged and continued to stare at the queen. He wasn't aware of his staring at all or he might have apologized. He found it very hard to tear his eyes away, and not simply in admiration. No, Rawign vaguely resembled a prey animal caught in the haunches of a predator, and it showed on his dark features when he didn't focus on hiding his fear. Azaran's arrival earned a delicate chirp from Li in greeting. Rawign did not look away from Millieth. "Honestly...? I did not mean what is proper here. As far as I am concerned, proper varies person to person. Some people demand title and rank while others are more comfortable with just their name. I'd rather know that I'm not making you feel uncomfortable with any questions, as you owe me no answers." She didn't even have to speak to him. He was well-aware that he was being given a special privilege in the queenrider acknowledging his existence. Only then, however, did he turn back to Kaegan, with a look that bordered on amused. "You know what I think, queenrider? I think you see more than you let on. About her. About others. I don't know you, but... you don't strike me as someone who would miss a lot. Neither does she. Maybe that's too bold of me to say, but I've said it now and can't take it back... He's glaring at me; may I ask why?"