Kadira's Number One Fan
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: Avery, Sia
Date Posted: 5th July 2025
Characters: Aydhara, Kadira
Description: Aydhara meets her hero, the first female bluerider
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 12 of Turn 12
Notes: Mentioned: Aydhan, Zaphare, Naradis, Casmari, Saibra
Aydhan didn't have many reasons to go to Dragonsfall, but when she did, she made sure that Aydhara tagged along. The girl was quickly befriending folks across the southern continent, most particularly all the Southern women blueriders, often whether they liked it or not. She especially liked to bother the newest weyrling blue at Dragonsfall. But with only a gentle warning not to cause an international scene, Aydhan left the girl to her own devices.
Aydhara was not chill when she finally found Kadira, though she tried to be. It was hard to be calm when meeting a celebrity, especially when she was closer in age than Aydhara expected and pretty to boot. "Hi!" She managed excitedly as she slid into the open seat across from Dragonsfall's only female bluerider. "I'm Aydhara. From Barrier Lake Weyrhold. Or. Weyr. Barrier Lake Weyr, now."
Kadira used finishing the juice in her mug as a chance to be studying the person who sat down in front of her. Ever since the Naradis Incident, she’d had a reasonable paranoia of random people without Dragonsfall knots approaching her. Other Weyr knots that didn’t belong to riders got a side-eye. Knots that weren’t Weyr knots - she tried to spot them early enough to not be cornered.
Barrier Lake, Candidate, and beautiful hair. Wow. She wanted to swallow her tongue about that. It was disarming enough that her “Hello,” was a bit croaked out.
If Aydhara thought Kadira a bit awkward, she didn't let it show. "How has it been so far, being in the Wings? You have the most experience so far, obviously." The candidate rested her chin on her hands, clearly starstruck. "I'm going to Impress a blue, too. And then we can start a club."
“You want to?” That was Kadira’s surprise. Not that she was being asked how She’d done it. “Have you always?”
"When I was a stupid kid I wanted a bronze." Aydhara said honestly. "But that's because I wanted a dragon that breathed fire and my Dad has the best bronze. And then you Impressed a blue and proved it was possible. Blues are close enough. I'll just have the best _blue_ and dad can keep his bronze."
“But greens are half the firebreathers. It wasn’t ever green for you?”
"I'd take a green, I _guess_, but how many concessions do I have to make before my dragon is no longer as great as Avicath?" Aydhara said with a dramatic wave of a hand. "A brown would be better, at least I could fly an entire 'Fall. Like a small brown, so we could still be acrobatic _and_ stay in the air longer. But I'll take what I can get. My Mom's dragon is cool too, but I'd bore myself to tears staring at all the hidework."
“I never wanted to be a goldrider either. I saw my father do so much hide work himself as Wingleader and Weyrlingmaster Second. And Weyrsecond - shards no! It’s all the hide work of Weyrleader and Wingleader both and none of the fun, if there even is fun.”
"Yeah. Mom seems to really like it, but I just want to fly in the Wings." Aydhara said dreamily. "How are you doing in the Wings, anyway? Is anyone giving you guff? How have people been with the new blueriders?"
“The fact I haven’t been Threadscored yet has settled a lot of the questions that were going on before Blooding. Saibra put me into the Queen’s wing, and I know she wanted to keep an eye on me after all of the weyrlinghood incidents, but Ishath thinks we should be in Azure, of course.”
Kadira rolled her eyes and gave a little huff about that. Didn’t all dragons think they should be as high up as possible? She figured Aydhara would understand that it was rude to say the Queen’s Wing wasn’t a real wing. She still flamed Thread as it fell to that level, and despite the higher Wing’s efforts there were still clumps to sear. Ishath was healthy when many of the other dragon pairs were not, so it felt to her that he did more work to cover injured dragons in their trio and nine. And they’d done a paired catch earlier in the Turn, which was neat.
She added, “I suppose an advantage of the fact that the wing is always rotating means I’ve gotten to fly with more riders than if I’d just been promoted to one wing and stayed there. Maybe that’s giving us more credit, that each person who sees us fly around them can know we’re good with their own eyes, and they tell others that we’re good, and… It feels like we’re getting to prove ourselves to people and challenge what they say. But I see new transfers look at me, and new Candidates, and. It’s hard.”
She fiddled with the short curls of her hair. This was more than she was used to talking about this, but someone who seemed curious about her, and not Her Situation… She wasn’t sure how she could tell the way that Aydhara was different than Naradis had been, but she did seem different. Maybe Kadira just wanted her to be different. “Sorry. If I’m babbling. But you asked.”
"I did." Aydhara agreed, "I guess you're right. All the riders swapping in and out probably would've helped get people used to seeing you on blue? I didn't think about that before. Casmari just got thrown right into the fighting wings. D'hol had a different idea than Saibra, maybe. Well, you weren't by yourself for long. Zaphare will be in the fighting wings soon, and there's Tirraze and Casmari in other Weyrs. People are going to get used to you really quick now, or if they don't, at least you're not alone anymore."
“That makes me so grateful to know. I hope it’s been easier on Zaphare to not be the first here. I sure wish I’d been second.” It made Kadira feel guilty for not showing up better for the other weyrling at Dragonsfall.
"Someone's gotta be first." Aydhara said with a dismissive wave. "We don't have a lot of records from the previous Passes, but we know that the Ninth Pass riders entirely forgot that girls could Impress anything but gold. Imagine being the first woman greenrider in…well, centuries, probably, if everyone had forgotten. The important part is that you aren't the only, or the last, right?"
The girl considered a moment, then reached over to squeeze Kadira's hand. "You probably haven't had a lot of time to see Zaphare, since she's been so busy in weyrling training. What do you say about going to bother her? She owes me money."
“Being the first female greenrider must have taken a lot, you’re right. Now nobody questions them, except _really weird_ Holders.” That made Kadira laugh, which was probably Aydhara’s point.
“I haven’t,” Kadira admitted. “So tell me why she owes you money…”
Last updated on the July 15th 2025