On Flights - A Gold's Perspective (1/2)

Writers: Avery
Date Posted: 11th April 2017

Characters: A'vel, Kapera
Description: Tsogath asks Riyanth about the difference between human and dragon relations.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 7 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: L'pin

Notes: Part 3 in the "A'vel's First Flight" sequence

Kapera

A'vel sat at the dining hall table, hands curled around his mug of klah.
It was a restday, and he was trying to work up the desire to leave the
table and do something else. What he really wanted to do was pick up an
instrument and play for a bit. Tsogath would like it and he could use the
chance to relax.

Especially after Fall yesterday. Nobody had been hurt, but it was still a
terrifying experience. They'd flown two Falls now and were two steps
closer to graduation. Vonath had risen four days ago. Lavith was snappish
and Thaura was unbearable. And that meant that soon - soon Tsogath would -

He shook his head, rejecting the thought. He didn't want to think about
it. But L'pin was right - he _had_ to talk to someone before it happened.
And do something about it. But he didn't want to. It was just - it was
such an embarrassing concept. Surely everyone else in his weyrling class
had lost their virginity by now and he was the only holdout remaining. So
it was stupid he was making a big deal over it - stupid and probably
un-Weyr-like to care so much about it.

But being Weyr-like and fixing his problem would mean doing things with a
man like his dragon's color said he should. And A'vel still had hangups
about it being shameful. He couldn't just get over all of the taunts
immediately. He'd been _so_ bullied for being small; for being girlish;
for being less of a man; for being a rumored boy-lover. And if he did
something, then it meant it was all true...

}:I don't understand,:{ Tsogath said suddenly. She'd been following along
with her rider's feelings and didn't understand what was going on. He was
concerned about dragon mating

**You don't have to.** A'vel heaved a sigh. He hadn't meant for his
discomfort to bleed across the bond. He'd wanted to brood in peace.

}:It's rider-things?:{ she guessed. He'd used that phrase a lot to her and
she knew it meant things that he felt that she wasn't supposed to
understand because they were different or simple for dragons.

**It's rider-things,** he agreed.

And before she could ask... **And yes, I talked to L'pin.** And it had
helped some - it helped that the Weyrlingmaster's Second was a bluerider
and had probably gone through some similar soul-searching - though it had
given him the challenge of being told to go do something about it, and
that was why he was here...

Tsogath pondered that. }:Maybe you should talk to a different rider.:{

She couldn't understand why he was confused. It had to do with mating and
when he was supposed to mate. Before she did. And who he was supposed to
mate with. That bothered him and she didn't know why.

She was a green dragon, so she knew she could mate with blues or browns or
bronzes. (She was very lucky to have many options!) All of them
appreciated her and would want to catch her. She knew that someday she
would rise and they would catch her. These were all facts Tsogath just
knew and it seemed simple to her.

But riders mated in different ways. Those were complicated and hard to
understand. If she could pair with any male dragon then her rider should
mate with any male rider, right? And not with green riders since greens
didn't mate with greens. On the other talon, she knew from Vonath's
gossiping that her rider was mating with Anaith's, and Anaith was a green.
And then there were people without dragons and they mated too. So it was
all very confusing.

Tsogath decided to ask another dragon about this issue. One who had
authority. Who must know the answers. As she looked across the Weyrbowl
she saw a gold lounging on the rim. She didn't look asleep because she was
being paid court to by bronzes, so surely Tsogath could ask.

}:Riyanth?:{ the green asked the gold dragon. }:I have a question.:{

Riyanth didn't normally interact with weyrling dragons. Sometimes she
interacted with ones who had come from her, since she wanted to ensure
they had good riders and training. But Tsogath was Panitath's weyrling.
She didn't know the green. So she was very surprised to have the contact.

}:What is it?:{

}:What are the rules on people-mating? :{ Tsogath asked, jumping straight
into her question. }:I don't understand why my rider is worried about
it.:{

}:Do you know about dragon-mating?:{ the gold asked. Tsogath was still
small to her eyes so perhaps did not know how it worked yet.

}:I know that greens and golds rise. You are caught by bronze. Greens are
caught by blue and brown and bronze,:{ Tsogath answered.

}:Good. That is the natural order for dragons. We rise, _we_ choose. The
males catch us when we allow, and then they do the fall. But we are the
important ones. Do not forget that,:{ Riyanth advised.

Of course for a green like Tsogath it was not very important for her to
make the right choice, since she would not produce eggs. But Riyanth
believed that the dragon who rose should make her choice and not be caught
by a dragon they didn't like. And so she wanted Tsogath to know that as
well.

}:I understand. I will make a good choice of dragon,:{ Tsogath said. Right
now, though, her flight seemed far away and not relevant.

Last updated on the April 25th 2017

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On Flights - A Gold's Perspective (1/2)