Make New Friends

Writers: Avery, Steel
Date Posted: 25th October 2025

Characters: T'thalin, Kadira
Description: Tathalin meets DFW's first female bluerider
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 9, day 18 of Turn 12

“... N-nice dragon…” Tathalin dared, eyed the blue at the edge of the indoor Lake. No one _seemed_ to be around. Or, well, at least paying direct attention to him.

And the dragons themselves never seemed interested in staring, that he'd seen.

A large, stocky, and deep cobalt blue dragon was stretching out along the indoor weyrlake, with his left wing outstretched and trailing lightly in the warm water, and his tail in the water as well, idly flicking and causing ripples to occur. His right wing was folded against his body and his muzzle was stretched out, looking around the inside cavern. Was he looking at other dragons? Waiting for his rider? None knew but him.

His attention was drawn by the person who came nearby. Tall. Hesitant. Looking at him. Speaking to him? Intriguing. His head turned slightly so he could regard the boy and his eye whirled slightly faster in a curious blue-green.

“.... Nice dragon.” Tathalin repeated. “I… I won't come any closer. Promise. I just… You're not so big. I mean… not compared to the browns and bronzes and golds.”

He huffed. “... You probably have no idea what I'm saying. But… but I hope that's okay. I… I don't want trouble.”

Ishath understood enough of it… to be insulted, that was! Not so big? Why, Ishath was as big as some browns! Perhaps this boy just could not see it, because he was lounging, relaxing himself waiting to be bathed, and curling somewhat. What if he extended the wing that wasn’t in the water. Surely the boy would see him then.

Oh, but if he showed how big he was, then would the boy leave? He did like being looked at and admired, Ishath thought. Not enough showed him his due respect. The bronzes got it, with their shiny hides. Big browns were getting it, now that they sired eggs on golds, as they kept reminding other dragons about. But blues did not get enough respect. Especially not him, because sometimes strange newcomers thought ill of his rider and so did not treat him specifically with proper reverence. Ridiculous.

Ishath very slowly began to extend the wing that was curled up against his body, turning his head further to look at the boy…and letting out a soft hum as he did so.

Tathalin paled, but held his ground. “... Easy. Um… I'm not… trouble. Promise.” He started, then faltered. “Okay…. Maybe you're bigger than I thought. I… Easy, boy.”

He paused, then added, “You don't… _sound_ aggressive.”

Ishath let his noise become a little louder. He had welcomed draconic hatchlings into the world with that sound just recently. A primal part of him remembered that fact. Dragons welcomed in new life with soothing and welcome. And so they also coaxed out reluctant ones, too. He crooned and chirruped at greens. He could croon for this boy.

His eyes whirled still blue-green and his muzzle parted slightly, his breath coming out in a huff as he swung it cautiously to look at and inspect Tathalin closer up. He was not sniffing, like a Search dragon would do. He wasn’t touching with his nose. That would spook the boy off. He just wanted to peer closer.

Teeth. Those were _teeth_.

Tathalin held still, a moment, eyed the blue uncertainly. “Um…. Hi.” He said, weakly. The blue was… crooning at him?

“I'm going to assume that's a good sound.” He added. “The crooning, I mean.” He paused again, fidgeted. “I, um… hi.” He repeated, lamely. “I'm, uh… Tathalin.”

A hesitation, and then he added, “I… like your coloration. It's a nice blue?”

Ah, the boy spoke! Was Ishath supposed to speak back? He spoke to other dragons, of course. But to humans? No. He had only spoken to his rider that he remembered. Though perhaps once he had lashed out against a threat. Yes, he would defend her against threats and yell at them. But she was not here - yet, though she was coming, as Ishath sensed her returning to him with the items for a bath - and the boy was not a threat to be challenged. Unworthy of thought-speak, then, but fine for non-verbal interaction.

}:There is a boy here looking at me, and I will see if he will scratch me. He seems easy to startle. Please do not scare him,:{ he told his rider.

Kadira nearly dropped the items she was carrying as Ishath told her that, and was glad she hadn’t been too close yet to have gasped aloud or actually dropped anything and scared the boy. After all, the blue was so often standoffish to strangers… and he’d never shown signs of Search potential before. The behavior was thus entirely unexpected. She decided she’d approach very slowly and watch their interaction so as not to frighten the boy away.

He whuffed out a warm breath and half closed his eyes and tilted his head towards Tathalin, presenting the ridge over his eyes and his head-knobs dramatically.

“... Do you… want scratches? I think that means you want scratches…” Tathalin hesitated, then lifted his arm. “... Don't bite me, okay? I mean… I've never heard of a dragon biting someone, but…”

Tentatively, he reached out, and very carefully touched said ridge, light as could be. “... I really hope this isn't some kind of trick to get me kicked out… Oh! You're… warm. Kind of soft, too.”

He patted the blue's eye-ridge, gently. “... Good dragon.”

Ishath’s eyes completely closed in pleasure. Meanwhile, Kadira walked up slowly and just stopped to take in the sight of a lanky boy not only standing by her blue, but scratching Ishath’s eye ridges while Ishath lay there practically purring like a feline in the sun being tended to by a doting weyrbrat. She didn’t recognize him, and from the way he seemed hesitant around a dragon, not a new transfer who was weyrbred. Perhaps newly Searched from a hold or hall - or perhaps one of the Holdless?

**You were not kidding. He is very brave to approach you like that,** she thought to him.

}:He is very nice and brave, and I have not done anything to scare him. I am not unpleasant to _everyone_,:{ Ishath replied, gently flicking the tip of his tail and his wing and humming in pleasure. The water around him trembled and small waves began, lapping lake water up gently around the tips of Tathalin’s boots.

She wasn’t sure if her appearance would startle whoever the boy was. How much a stranger had heard about the rare female blueriders, and if he knew how that Dragonsfall had any, she didn’t know. Though it was a relief for her to no longer be alone - they were up to three now, when some Northern and Southern Weyrs didn’t yet have their first… If he’d been expecting a male rider, he’d be surprised by a shorter female figure with curves, wearing just a short cropped top and shorts. She set down the buckets and brushes out of the way of Ishath’s tail, while she crossed her arms to watch.

She very quietly cleared her throat after a moment, and said, “He likes that, so you can keep scratching him.”

This was… _nice_, Tathalin thought. It was warmer inside this lake cave, and the blue dragon was friendly enough. He didn’t mind scritching, not when the dragon so clearly enjoyed it.

He didn’t even startle when the voice spoke, even if he tensed slightly. “I… He seemed to want me to.” He said, finally, voice quiet. “I'd _never_ just… um.”

A pause followed, focusing hard on the blue hide. “This is… He's… yours?” he asked.

Kadira approached slowly so she could take a look at his face and give him a reassuring smile. The boy sounded nervous, like he thought he was in trouble for touching her dragon. If he’d approached and cornered Ishath, that would be one thing. But Ishath had approached him first, so he wouldn’t be in trouble.

“Go ahead, keep scratching,” she encouraged gently. “His name is Ishath, and he was demanding it from you if he was holding his head out to you. Which is an honor, because he doesn’t like most people.”

“Yes, rider.” Tathalin responded immediately, and his hand moved again. “... Hello, Ishath.” He greeted once more, properly this time, and kept his focus on said blue.

“I'm… I'm Tathalin.” he added after a beat. “A Candidate. And, um… thank you for the-- the honor, Ishath.”

For a Candidate, he seemed very nervous around dragons. Well, perhaps Ishath would help with that. “I’m Kadira. And if you’re a Candidate, then you should definitely learn where dragons like to be scratched and get to enjoy time with them, and it looks like Ishath is happy to be helping you with that. How long have you been here?”

The blue dragon huffed out a warm breath and was happy to keep being scratched. His tail swished faster, sending more water around.

“Ishath is very nice. “ Tathalin said, immediately. “And, um…” He trailed off, scratched the presented eye ridges a few more moments. “I've, um… been here sincethefloods.” he added hastily, and stopped scratching the eye ridges, shoulders hunched slightly.

He was ready for it to go either way.

“Is Ishath the first one you’ve gotten to pet?” she asked neutrally.

“There… there were the. Um. The dragons that _brought_ us here?” Tathalin dared, and retreated half a step, glanced back at the indoor lake entrance. “I… well. Yes?”

Kadira shook her head at that comment. “So you rode one into the Weyr in an emergency situation, that doesn’t really give you time to pet them or get to know them, right? Whereas in here,” and she gestured an arm to encompass the indoor weyrlake, with dragons bathing and relaxing, some weyrfolk swimming for fun or play with the dragons while others labored to clean theirs. “In here you can just get to know them.”

Tathalin nodded, slowly. “That, um… makes sense.” He said, gaze still mostly on his boots or Ishath, though after a moment he darted a glance at her. “I mean… if they let you. Or… or their riders… do. Or both.”

“Hmm. As a Candidate, are you not getting a lot of chances to spend time with dragons? Or is it that outside of lessons, people are being standoffish because of where you’re from?” she guessed, looking him up and down.

Tathalin swallowed, retreated another quarter pace away from the blue and his rider-- Ishath and Kadira. “I… Um. I'm not criticizing anyone!” He blurted. “At all. I mean… I _do_ have Candidate lessons. And… and they let me apprentice to the Harpers here…”

He paused again, shoulders hunched. “... I mean… yeah. I'm… Holdless. But I don't want to make trouble!”

She held up a hand calmingly, trying to make herself look less threatening. “I think we have a miscommunication here. Work with me a minute?” she asked, before he could run away.

“When I was a weyrling two Turns ago it was under different Weyrlingmasters, so I didn’t know if the lessons were different on how much time you spend with dragons, was all. I don’t think all Holdless are trouble, and I don’t think you yourself are making trouble. More importantly, Ishath doesn’t think you’re making trouble. He likes you more than he likes a lot of people. Hold born, or even weyr born. He doesn’t like a lot of people. He’s really defensive of me, and skeptical of most people, actually.”

“I… Oh.” Tathalin's ears turned red, and his shoulders hunched in fresh embarrassment. “... I thought… Sorry.” He mumbled. “Your blue. I… like him, too.” He added.

“I… don't _really_ know a lot of dragons. But… he's been nice.” Tathalin continued, and stopped his retreat. “... Is… it too late to… say thanks? I mean, for not minding… me.”

He glanced sidelong at Kadira again. “... To both of you.”

“If you want to stay around, you could help me wash him.” Kadira gestured at the buckets she had set down. “I was off getting the soapstone and oils for him when you started scritching him. It would be good practice for when you get your own dragon, and I never get help with him. Either nobody wants to help me, or Ishath won’t allow it. But I think he’ll allow you, won’t he?”

}:I will,:{ Ishath told his rider, communicating it to the boy by repeatedly blinking his eyes and letting out a chirrup.

“I'd be honored to help.” Tathalin responded, immediately. “I… haven't washed a dragon before.” He added. “Um… let me know. If I do it wrong, I mean.”

He paused, and then came back toward Ishath. “He's… been nice to me.”

“And you’ve been nice to him and to me, so it’s the foundation of a good friendship. Now come on and we’ll show you.”

Last updated on the November 2nd 2025

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