Perfectly Respectable

Writers: Corrin, Estelle
Date Posted: 27th May 2025

Characters: L'keri, A'ten, Sybana
Description: L'keri arranges a "chance" meeting with Sybana
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 6, day 17 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Sanvi, Halia, T'lonas (not by name), Saibra, K'ran, D'hol

L'keri

Sybana

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It wasn't easy to meet with a weyrling in the first few months of their training. If they weren't feeding, oiling or cleaning up after their dragonets, they were being crammed full of formations and weather patterns in classes, or collapsing into their beds in the barracks in exhaustion. L'keri had only found a few minutes to be with his own son, and even then A'ten had spent most of them apparently mortified by the presence of his parent.

"Aren't you going to introduce me to any of your friends?" he'd asked, in complete innocence.

"Eurgh! Da!" A'ten pulled a face like a boy who'd just swallowed a trundlebug. "Please don't flirt with my classmates. You're old! It's embarrassing."

He hadn't been planning to, since there were more than enough perky greenriders in the Fighting Wings to try his charms on without risking the wrath of the Weyrlingmaster, but the comment stung a bit. He wasn't _that_ old! And now the thought was in his head, there was one weyrling he'd very much like to meet, if only to annoy the bronzeriders.

Fortunately, the young dragons had started to hunt not long since, and the riders had a little more time to themselves for rest or study. L'keri waited until Rhalith told him he'd seen A'ten and Corvanth heading away from the herdbeast paddock, and then he strolled over to the one weyrling whose dragon was hard to miss.

"Lady Goldrider. Galgaith." He bowed. "I hope I'm not disturbing you? I'm L'keri, Rhalith's rider - A'ten's father."

Sybana brushed a windblown curl from her face and turned to the voice. His address was gallant, his knots more than respectable. Standing at the fenceline, arms folded loosely over the rail, she smiled at L’keri. “You’re not. Galgi and I were just watching the herd settle.”

Galgi, Galgaith, loomed at her side. The size of the small adult green, but half again as bulky, the weyrling gold spared L’keri the merest glance. Her attention was trained on the lowing herd in the pens, as she picked out her next meal with relish. She enjoyed the hunt, the chase, the rush. Her tail lashed the air in wide, deliberate arcs-- anticipation manifest.

The gold’s high spirits were infectious, at least for her rider. Sybana, who otherwise had little taste for blood and gore, wore her dragon’s excitement in her own bright eyed gaze, in the faint flush of her cheeks. “She’s only been hunting a few times,” she confided, voice tinged with besotted pride. “But she’s a natural.”

"I can tell. I'm glad I'm on this side of the fence right now." The brownrider leaned on his elbow against the fence, his head turned up to watch the young gold. He remembered the chatter about her robust build at the Hatching Feast, but he'd been more concerned with his son at the time. Weyrling dragons were often clumsy, weren't they, until they grew into their size? Except, of course, he thought proudly, for the sleek and elegant Corvanth.

"A'ten's told me a lot about her. She sounds quite strong-willed," he said diplomatically. "It must have been a lot to get used to."

“Oh, she’s ready!” Sybana announced, holding up a hand to forestall any more talk as Galgaith gave a final, decisive lash of her tail and sprang aloft.

The young gold powered herself into the air to wheel about the pens. Once. Twice. Then she tucked her wings and dove. A more experienced, more elegant hunter might have then adroitly plucked their kill from the panicking herd, but L’keri was right. For all her obvious enthusiasm, Galgaith was still awkward and clumsy. She tackled a large bull into the snow with far more force than necessary and went falling end over end with him until they slid to a stop and she ripped his throat out.

Gripping the railing, Sybana followed the hunt with breathless anticipation, relaxing only as the gold dragged her prize away to feast. She beamed, expression radiant, like a mother whose child has just recited a flawless Harper verse. It took her a moment to remember L’keri was still standing beside her and another to recall what he had been saying.

“Oh! Right-- strong-willed.” She laughed, the sound breezy and fond. “Everyone keeps warning me about that, but honestly? Galgi has been wonderful. She has opinions of course, but we don’t really argue. Our biggest issue so far is that she doesn’t like to listen to most other dragons, but she’ll listen to me, so it’s been alright.”

Sybana glanced affectionately at the feeding dragon, who paused just long enough to raise her bloodstained head and return the wordless, loving thought.

“So, you’re L’keri,” she said finally, turning back to the man. “You must be very proud of your son. I think A’ten is one of the best students in our class.” One of the most diligent anyway.

"Really?" A moment too late, L'keri realized he'd sounded far too surprised and corrected himself. "Yes, of course. I'm terribly proud. I always hoped he'd Impress, although when he ran away to work at the tavern I wondered if he'd miss his chance. But it all turned out well in the end. He's certainly doing better in his training than I ever did," he added, sounding almost disappointed. "I haven't had one single complaint about him from the Weyrlingmasters."

“Did you want complaints?” she asked, amusement dancing in her eyes as she caught the disappointment in his tone. “Were you hoping he’d be a bit more notorious…. like you?” She had heard a thing or two about this brownrider L’keri.

"Well, not exactly, but I wouldn't mind it if the young lad had some fun now and then. Like I did." He leaned against the fence with a slow, thoroughly unrepentant grin. "After all, driving the Weyrlingmasters to distraction is what weyrlinghood is for, don't you agree?"

"Oh, I don't know about that," Sybana laughed. "I try not to cause a fuss these days. I think the Weyr would take a pretty dim view of it if I were disrupting the barracks."

"I suppose it's different for you. A goldrider must maintain her dignity," L'keri teased. "And I'll admit you weyrlings have to be a great deal more creative about your mischief here at Dragonsfall. I trained at River Bluff, and it was much more pleasant to sneak out of the barracks at night when you didn't have to worry about freezing to death. But...there must be _some_ of the rules you've been tempted to break?" He raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Oh, _tempted_, yes," Sybana admitted with a rueful smile. "I'm tempted constantly. My classmates are... exuberant. Half of them snuck out to celebrate the night of the Hatching. Sanvi and Halia flout curfew all the time. Now that we can fly unsupervised I'm sure I'll hear about some number of them sneaking off to drink in the mountains..."

She trailed off for a moment before adding, a bit wistfully, "I don't expect they'll ask me along. Galgaith is awfully conspicuous, and I'm not supposed to leave the weyr without a rider escort. ...It's just a lot more rules to break if I'm involved."

"If that's the only obstacle, I'm sure there'd be riders lining up to escort you wherever you wish to go," L'keri replied, with a gallant bow. "I would offer my own services, but alas, my reputation precedes me. I don't know that the Weyrlingmaster would consider me a suitable candidate." The man was a recent transfer, so there was an outside chance he wasn't aware - but Weyrlingmasters tended to know these things, and even if he didn't, Cyan Wing had its own level of infamy.

His gallantry earned a warm laugh and a wry smile. "You say that now, but I expect escorting me about will become a dreaded chore soon enough. No dragonrider dreams of playing babysitter, and once Galgi and I learn to Between, I mean to see the world. This reputation of yours may save you from being bored stiff by my frivolous sight seeing."

"Impossible. There could never be a dull moment at your side," he protested.

"Flatterer," Sybana scolded happily.

"Where do you plan to go first, once you're free to go? One of the northern beaches, to soak up the sun and swim with the dolphins? Or will you go home and show Galgaith off to your family?"

"Home first. Galgi should see where I'm from and my family should meet her, properly. After that..." She turned towards the horizon, where the mountains fell away and the winter sky stretched wide and pale. "North, but not to the beaches. I want to see Fort Hold and the original Harper Hall. The old Weyrs where dragonriding really began. The South is so young in comparison. I want to see where history was made."

"That's the plan, anyway," she said almost shyly, apologetic for her zeal. "Do you have any suggestions? Is there anything I simply _must_ see?"

"Hmm - well, there's the Weyrhold at Barrier Lake. I'll have to tell you the story sometime, about how my wingmate and I found the site where they decided to build it, back when there wasn't much more than a few old mining tunnels," L'keri said, not without a measure of pride. "There's a lovely bay, almost a perfect circle, and all the living quarters are brand-new. I'm sure there'll be someone willing to show a goldrider around. Then there's the tavern at Amber Hills. Don't worry, it's perfectly respectable," he added, straight-faced. "Goldriders and bronzeriders are often seen there."

"_You_ found the site for Barrier Lake? That's remarkably respectable," said Sybana, not hiding her surprise. Neither A'ten nor the gossip had mentioned _that_. "I should like to hear the story someday. Maybe when you escort me there? How can leadership disapprove when you're one of the founders of the Weyrhold?"

L'keri could think of a few reasons, but he kept them to himself. "Indeed. I'd be honored beyond measure to accompany you just as soon as the Weyrlingmaster gives you leave. You could tell him you've been offered a visit as the guest of one of the illustrious founders." He winked. With any luck, they'd assume she meant one of the bronzeriders - K'ran, perhaps, or D'hol.

Sybana's smile grew impish. "I'll do that."

Somewhere in Opal Cove, her old governess was surely despairing. Unattached men--nevermind notorious dragonriders--would hardly have passed as a suitable escort for a young lady in the holds, but she wasn't there anymore. By Saibra's rules, she would need _someone_ at her side if she traveled, someone more senior than her own weyrling classmates. It might as well be someone entertaining.

And L'keri seemed harmless enough. His gently gallant approach didn't alarm her the way K'mai's bold proposition had. She could deal with it, enjoy it even.

A soft thrum of satisfaction echoed in Sybana's chest, a wordless sense of fullness, and she glanced back to the pen where Galgaith was stretched out besides the remains of her kill.

"I should get her to the lake to wash off before she falls asleep." she said, turning back to L'keri. "Thank you for the company."

"The pleasure was all mine, my lady." L'keri bowed extravagantly and watched her walk away - then made his escape before A'ten, or the Weyrlingmaster, could see what he was up to.

Last updated on the June 10th 2025

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Perfectly Respectable