Bygone Days
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Sia, Halyonix, Corrin
Date Posted: 21st November 2024
Characters: I'serin, E'kavas, T'gyrlan
Description: After the weyrleadership flight, T'gyrlan reminisces about his past with I'serin...
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 1, day 3 of Turn 12
T’gyrlan lay in bed, coming down from the high of the goldflight, taking stock of his body and his Weyr. Hanassath had done well, considering he’d only begun to fly again a few months ago. Next time they would do better. There was nothing to be ashamed of, they should celebrate the fact they could participate again at all-- still, it hurt. The flight had gone to… Aluneth. I’serin. Faranth, I’serin!
~~~Flashback~~~
River Bluff Weyr, 20 turns ago…
It was a glorious summer day. The sun blazed high in the sky, casting a warm haze over the riverbank where T'gyrlan and E'kavas sprawled with all the leisure of men who had worked just enough to justify doing nothing more, both eighteen and deliciously indolent in this moment. T'gyrlan stretched out with a satisfied sigh, his damp curls clinging to his forehead, while Hanassath, gleaming and freshly washed, stood nearby, his wings half-spread to dry in the breeze. It was always nice to have help when washing the big bronze. It was entertaining too. Of course, E’kavas only helped because he’d lost a wager, but that young candidate, Ioraserin… He had been so eager to assist. T’gyrlan almost felt bad. Almost.
“Do you think he’s found the metallic wingsail wax yet?” T’gyrlan could barely keep a straight face. They had sent the boy off to find the wax about half a ‘mark ago. Naturally there was no such thing, but T’gyrlan had been hazed similarly when he was new the wings. It was his turn to laugh now.
Roquath was still out in the deepest parts of the river, the only sign of a dragon was the briefest glimpse of brown hide or a puff of air as he surfaced like a massive dolphin. It would be a scene later trying to get him out of the water, and he'd have to threaten to leave on Hanassath, but for now he was partway to dozing in the summer sun.
He tilted his head slightly to glance over at T'gyrlan, chuckling. "If he came back now he'd have figured it out faster than you did." He said, "Though you had Hannasath trying to help. I don't know if that actually helps or hinders."
"It didn't help at all," laughed T'gyrlan, voice turning fond as the memories came back. It was what, three or four Turns ago now? It seemed a lifetime ago, and just yesterday. "He was so keen to have what he thought the other bronzers were having. We were just striplings and he was trying to keep up with the rest of them. He wouldn't let me give up."
They drifted into companionable silence, watching the river flow by, until even that seemed like too much effort. Lulled by the summer heat and the gentle rush of water, T'gyrlan lay down in the sweet grass and let his eyes fall shut.
He dozed until the sound of footsteps roused him. "I am back!" a younger voice shouted. "I did not...There was..." Ioraserin started to explain, trying to catch his breath in between. "I found this," he told them, offering a jar of what was probably an oil and definitely not a wax. "I looked everywhere," he added apologetically.
T'gyrlan stood and stretched languidly. His hair was dry now, beautiful and golden, like the rest of him. He took the jar and inspected it with a critical eye, dipping in a finger before passing it to E'kavas. "_Oil_," he pronounced with exaggerated disapproval. "This won't do at all. We already oiled Hanassath. It's the wax he needs now. Are you _sure_ you looked everywhere?"
"I did!" the young Candidate replied defensively. "Everywhere that was marked where wax should be stored. I checked. And I checked places adjacent to it just in case. I was thorough! The Weyr is either out of it completely or..." He pointedly did _not_ state that maybe T'gyrlan had it wrong and there wasn't such a thing because he wasn't that if he did...he would be in even more trouble. "This oil is the closest thing," he said. "The healer said that it works to reduce friction and softens the skin so that is almost the same thing as wing wax."
E'kavas took the jar and dipped his own finger in, rubbing the oil into the tips of his fingers and raising them to his nose. It didn't smell like regular dragon-oil. The healer must have caught onto the joke too. "I'll take it. It'll reduce friction, all right, and I need that more than you do." He added slyly at T'gyrlan, then turned back to the poor, hapless candidate. "I don't know what to do with you, Ioraserin. You've got to be able to follow simple instructions once you're a weyrling."
"I can! I do!" Ioraserin shot back defensively. "It's...It is not my fault that the Weyr ran out. How was I to know?"
"Did you ask the bronzeriders?" T'gyrlan crossed his arms, tone stern. "If the weyr is out, surely there's a few personal stashes out there. You have to know when to rely on others and ask for help." And the other bronzers would have sent him on a merry chase, like they had T'gyrlan.
Ioraserin looked away. The thought of talking to other bronzeriders, particularly friends of his bronzerider father A'len, did not appeal to him at all. "No," he admitted quietly.
E'kavas raised an eyebrow, a sly grin creeping cross his face as he looked between Ioraserin and T'gyrlan. "Well then, I think you need to learn about the importance of asking for help, and us wingriders should teach by example. T'gyrlan, help me throw him in the river."
A slight eyebrow raise was the only sign of surprise T'gyrlan gave at the escalation, and then a bright white smile was flashing across his face. "Of course. Since you asked." T'gyrlan winked-- and lunged, making to tackle the younger boy to the ground. "Grab his legs, 'Kavas!"
"No!" Ioraserin yelled as he tried to squirm away. He hated people being in his personal space! He hated it!
Two dragonriders versus a dragonrider-hopeful was no match at all. E'kavas grabbed the kicking legs with only a little trouble, and the two of them managed to wrangle their cargo up to the edge of the rock. "One, two-" E'kavas counted, and then at three the two of them hurled Ioraserin off and into the river with a splash.
Ioraserin came up sputtering and splashing. "Uncalled for!" he protested.
"Consider it a lesson on teamwork!" T'gyrlan shouted. Laughing, the older boys ran off to their dragons, leaving Ioraserin to dry in the summer sun, alone.
~~~Present Day~~~
T'gyrlan sighed with warm nostalgia. Those had been good days, long before the return of Thread. ...Hopefully the new weyrleader wouldn't hold it against him.
Last updated on the December 11th 2024