She Wouldn't Want Us to Be Unhappy (1/2)

Writers: Avery, Devin
Date Posted: 15th February 2020

Characters: A'dryn, A'kades
Description: As Nalarith rises, A'dryn is reminded of another flight.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 3 of Turn 10
Notes: Mentioned: Lanniya, B'jon

Nalarith made her intentions known to the Weyr, bugling a challenge to
the males. Resigned, A'dryn made his way to the flight cots,
swallowing as he saw the men gathering. One of them would claim him
soon.

A'dryn watched a familiar bronzerider join the circle and was not at
all surprised. After all, Volaith was fond of Nalarith, and she
returned the affection. She'd shown as much the day A'kades moved to
Dolphin Cove.

~*~Flashback to a Turn ago~*~

When A'dryn spotted the bronzerider in the dining cavern he held
himself back for a moment, worried about interrupting him or being
overeager. But he couldn't contain his happiness and hurried over.
"A'kades! You're really here!" The man was a mentor and something of a
father figure. A'dryn had been hurt when the destruction of River
Bluff separated them, but now A'kades had transferred to be the new
Hurricane Wingsecond.

A'kades looked up from his meal at the sound of his name. He was eating
at one of the smaller tables near the side of the cavern, on his own. He
planned to eat with the wing at their usual tbale most of the time, but
right now he was still getting used to new parts of the Weyr and his
position, so sitting in a corner and with a pile of hides seemed a good
place to be.

"A'dryn," he says with real warmth. "Now are you and Nalarith?"

"We're doing well. How are you and Volaith?" A'dryn had nearly
forgotten his manners in his excitement.

"He's doing very well. Appreciates the sun, for one. Already
ingratiating himself with the new gold dragons, I think," A'kades
said.

A shadow briefly passed over his face. It was to be expected of a
bronze dragon to pay court to the queens, of course. Just because *he*
missed Lenala and couldn't bear the idea of Volaith winning another
flight that wasn't Vilarth's didn't mean that he could expect Volaith
to feel the same. Draconic memories faded, and a queen's allure was so
strong...

He pushed aside that image and said, "There's a lot of people I'm
excited to catch up with. You are one of them, of course."

"I'm very happy you're here. The people here have been kind, but with
Lanniya leaving I've just been so..." Lonely. He still had B'jon and
of course with Nalarith he'd never truly be alone, but he'd started
getting used to having a group of people around who knew what he was
and cared for him anyway.

"I know what you mean," A'kades said. "She's settling in fine at
Dragonsfall and will miss you deeply, I'm sure."

"She promised we'd visit each other often." With dragons distance
didn't mean much, but the time difference would be an issue.

"That's always good. There's a lot of cross-Weyr visiting between the
former Bluff folks. I kept visiting here. And now that I've
transferred, I'll go back there and visit friends, as well."
Especially with his children still there.

A'dryn nodded. "River Bluff people? Did you make new friends as well?"

"A few new friends. Not very many," he admitted. "It was a busy few
months of settling in there, or trying to. Easier to stick to people I
alrady knew."

He wondered if it had been the same for A'dryn.

"It's difficult to make new friends," the young greenrider said.

A'kades nodded in agreement. "I'm hoping the wing will soon warm up to
me and I'll get to know the people in it. But with so many new faces
arriving at every Weyr with the reshuffling, I imagine everyone's
having a hard time getting used to it. Hopefully in six months it will
be easier."

"I'm sure they'll warm up to you. You were an excellent
Weyrlingmaster's Second and I'm sure you'll be a wonderful Wingsecond
as well," A'dryn said. "I'm very glad you're one of my leaders again."
And Nalarith was pleased to have Volaith around, but he didn't want to
think about that too much.

"I look forward to flying with you in my wing," he said seriously. It
had been one thing to be a Weyrlingmaaster and training the weyrlings to
fly in a wing, but another to serve directly with someone. "Clearly,
you'll have to tell me all I need to know."

"I'd love to help you any way I can." Heat rose to A'dryn's cheeks. He
couldn't help noticing how handsome A'kades was and he immediately
tried to push that thought away. Far, far away. A'dryn had been
noticing men far more intensely the last few days and Nalarith had
been flirting every chance she could get. Part of him dreaded what was
coming and another part just wanted it over with.

"Let me know if there's anyone in the wing I really need to watch out
for, help me find my way around. You know, the." He fell quiet after a
moment.

Volaith had been sitting on the ledge of his new weyr and watching other
dragons. He was now hunched over, staring at Nalarith's bright green
hide, tail lashing. He knew this green and he knew her signs.

"Is something wrong?" A'dryn asked. A'kades had that familiar distant
look of a rider focusing on his dragon.

}:Volaith watches me.:{ Nalarith's mind-voice was almost a purr.
}:Many watch me.:{ The green spread her wings and her lust hit A'dryn
hard enough to make him stagger.

"Oh _no_," the greenrider groaned. **Right now?**

}:Now!:{ Nalarith lifted her head, her bugle ringing off the stone of
the Weyr. }:Come catch me!:{ The green sprang into the air.

}:I will,:{ Volaith vowed, hunching himself and then springing into the sky.

"Do you have to go?" A'kades asked. Then Volaith called back at her
and he knew -
he did too.

A'dryn turned, unsure which way the cots were, his mind tangled up
with Nalarith's. He fought to push her back, just for a moment, just
long enough for him to...There. A'dryn ran for the exit, out into the
bright sunlight of the Bowl. Feet sinking into sand, but also air
under his wings as he climbed higher and higher.

Nalarith was well ahead of her chasers and shifted to tease them,
dancing through the sky. So many handsome, strong males that wanted
her. But not yet! They had to prove themselves first.

**Aw, shells. Volaith, we just got here,** he thought at his bronze as
he followed A'dryn towards the flight cots, his vision already
beginning to haze as their minds merged - he saw A'dryn and he saw
Nalarith both. **You don't have to chase every green..**

In the sky, multiple blues and browns leapt to the sky. Volaith flew
higher and watched closely, half following by instinct and half by
remembering how Nalarith flew. He bellowed a challenge at a young
bronze who joined into the race and intimidated him into dropping out.
_He_ would be the bronze to catch this green! Not those interlopers!

A swift blue got close to Nalarith but she darted away. She had a
little more experience now and she was far from ready to be caught.
She led the males far above the Weyr and out over the ocean, thrilling
at the energy coursing through her. The chasers called out to her,
paying her compliments, promising to give her pleasure. She loved the
attention, but their words didn't sway her.

Only when she felt the first hint of tiring did she start to consider
the males. There were many, and it filled her with pride. Several
blues, a few browns, and a bronze. A very handsome and familiar
bronze. She flew on longer to test him, but the green had already made
her choice. While she still had strength left, Nalarith doubled back,
scattering the males closest to her. With an elegant roll she put
herself in Volaith's path. }:Claim me!:{

Volaith was all too happy to comply with claiming the very tempting
green who he knew well. }:You are mine,:{ he declared to her, twining
necks and tails and spreading his wings to carry them down.

A'kades pulled A'dryn to him and somehow made it into the flight cot
and shucked their clothes and mirrored their dragons.

Last updated on the May 31st 2020

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She Wouldn't Want Us to Be Unhappy (1/2)