The Most Marvellous Thing
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: Devin, Estelle
Date Posted: 19th April 2026
Characters: Tr'vel, Gilbek
Description: While bathing Eboroth, Gil becomes fascinated by the helpful firelizards.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 21 of Turn 13
Tr'vel and Gil were putting away their laundry when Eboroth stuck his head into the weyr. "He wants a bath," the bluerider said with a hint of amusement. "Would you like to help?"
Gil's eyes lit up. Like a candidate fresh from Search, helping to bathe a dragon was still enough of a novelty to him that he didn't think of it as a chore, and on a hot day it was no hardship to be in the water with his favorite dragonpair. "I'd love to!"
Tr'vel smiled and crossed the sleeping area to give Gil a quick, warm kiss. "Eager as a weyrbrat." He was still amazed this man had agreed to be his weyrmate and that they were living together now. Well, officially -- Gil had been spending quite a lot of his time in Tr'vel's weyr before the romantic proposal.
He stepped closer, one hand resting lightly on Tr'vel's shoulder as he returned the kiss with one of his own, and some moments passed before he spoke, his voice a little breathless and amused. "I can't hear him, but I imagine Eboroth is pointedly clearing his throat right now."
"He likes the way you make me feel." Tr'vel trailed his fingers along Gil's cheek and then down to the collar of his shirt. Then the bluerider chuckled. "All right, now he's giving me a nudge."
They grabbed the supplies and Eboroth took them down on the short glide to the Weyrlake. }:So many beautiful greens,:{ Eboroth said as he admired the bathing dragons.
**Oh, I see why you wanted a bath now.**
As they landed, Tr'vel warned, "Be prepared to get splashed and knocked over. He's in a flirting mood." Which was hardly unusual.
"As long as he doesn't sit on me, I'll survive," Gil joked as he handed down the brushes and sweetsand, then slid down from Eboroth's back. "Any lady dragon in particular catch his eye?"
}:Plerasith is very graceful. And Katwyth is strong and such a lovely shade,:{ Ebororth said. }:And Dorareth is beautiful too.:{
Tr'vel laughed and relayed the comments. "He's terrible."
Several firelizards popped in, chittering happily as they flew around Eboroth. Some were bonded, some wild. }:The little cousins want to help.:{
Gil had started to wade into the water, scrubbing brush in hand, but turned at the sound of trilling voices and his eyes went wide in awe. He'd seen firelizards before of course, around the lower caverns and even long ago at Emerald Falls, but it was rare he got a chance to be so close to them. They were perfect miniature dragons, down to the tiny headknobs and the delicate tails.
As he set to work lathering Eboroth's side, a little green perched on the neck ridge above him and began to rub her tiny clawed feet against the dragon's hide, spreading the sweetsand out, her talons curled under so she wouldn't scratch. He laughed. "Look, they're helping!"
"Mostly they just get in the way, but sometimes they do actually help." Tr'vel smiled at the industrious little green. One of the wild browns landed on Eboroth's back and chirped at Tr'vel expectantly until he gave the firelizard a handful of sweetsand. The brown's eyes whirled happily as he started scrubbing.
"They're beautiful," Gil said, his head tilted back to look up at the firelizard, who'd just been joined by another green, this one a little larger and darker in coloring than her sister. He must have been watching them for too long, because the pair of them began chittering loudly, scolding him for his laziness in high-pitched unison, and he hastily resumed work. "All right, all right! I was just admiring you."
Tr'vel watched him for a moment, the bright-eyed wonder he had for the firelizards. Gil was good with Eboroth, too, and the other dragons. He could never Impress, of course, but . . . "Do you think you might like one of your own?"
"Who hasn't dreamed of finding a firelizard's egg? I used to search for them along the riverbank with my friends, back in Emerald Falls when we were boys. Not many beaches there, sadly, and no eggs either..." He glanced across at Tr'vel, caught his expression and his eyes widened. "Wait, are you serious?"
"Of course." Tr'vel smiled at his weyrmate. "This place is crawling with them. It won't be hard to find someone with a clutch willing to sell or barter for an egg."
Gil was so stunned by the thought of a firelizard of his own that he had to gather his thoughts before he could respond. "But aren't they awfully expensive? At Emerald Falls, the Lord and Lady Holder had them, and a few others." Sometimes a senior guard would be allocated an egg for his work, but he'd never have dreamed of buying one himself.
Oh shards, the look on his face. Tr'vel was definitely getting him one, even if he had to borrow marks after spending most of savings on the ring.
}:Yes, you should get him a little friend. I would like that.:{ Eboroth was actually staying (mostly) still to let the firelizards scrub him.
"They're less precious here." Tr'vel snorted. "Half the weyrbrats and Candidates have them. You can't get away from them." He gestured at the fair around Eboroth.
"I suppose I had noticed there were a lot of them around." Gil managed to collect himself enough to respond. "It would be the most marvellous thing to know, even in a small way, what it's like for you and Eboroth. To feel what you do, when you're thinking about him. But only if it's not a trouble, or costs too much?" Though he was clearly trying not to get too excited, he couldn't keep the incredulous joy from his voice at the thought of a firelizard of his own.
Tr'vel set the brush down and went over to pull Gil into a kiss. "I would be happy to get you one."
Gil dropped his own brush to slip his arms around his weyrmate, leaning into the bluerider's embrace. "I don't know what to say, except...thank you, love?" Unused to accepting gifts most holders could only dream of, his delight was mingled with anxiety about whether he might be taking advantage of Tr'vel's generosity. "Perhaps I could contribute somehow, or repay..."
Just then, the pair of green firelizards, exasperated by the lack of scrubbing activity from the humans, began loudly scolding them again and fanning their wings in disapproval.
Tr'vel looked up at them with a chuckle. "It seems we have the old auntie firelizards attending us today."
"You may be right about that." Gil didn't want to leave the warmth of Tr'vel's arms, but he turned his head to address the greens respectfully. "Please forgive us, Aunties. We're recently weyrmated."
The pair folded their wings and looked at each other, then back at the men, one letting out a quizzical chirp while the other eyed them suspiciously.
}:They are bonded mates,:{ Eboroth told the firelizards. }:Let them have a moment. Don't worry, I'll make them get back to work.:{ His eye whirled with amusement.
"Baby Blue is telling them we can have a moment." Tr'vel's gaze was amused too, but there was a touch of heat to it. "Let's take advantage." He kissed Gil again.
"Mmm." Gil let his hands slide lazily down Tr'vel's back to his waist and tugged gently at his shirt. The lake water was cool around his toes, but the flush of warmth to his skin had nothing to do with the bright sun overhead. "It's lucky you have Eboroth," he murmured between kisses. "Or else we might have to...rethink this firelizard idea."
"Worried it might interrupt us?" Tr'vel pulled his shirt off and went back to kissing Gil.
"It may be useful to have someone to distract it...at certain times," he suggested slyly, pressing closer to the bluerider as his fingers ran lightly over bare skin.
Tr'vel made a low sound. "I'm starting to have very inappropriate thoughts about doing things to you in public."
"Then I'd better work quickly to finish Eboroth's bath." Gil's body vibrated with quiet laughter - and anticipation. "Between you and the angry firelizard aunties..." As he spoke, one of the greens whistled her impatience.
"Fine, fine." Tr'vel stepped back with a sigh. "Bath first, sexy weyrmate later." He gave Gil a long look full of promise before he went to retrieve his brush.
Perhaps it was that look, or the vivid images it evoked of what might happen once the bath was done...but when Gil picked up his own brush again, he began scrubbing Eboroth as swiftly and vigorously as the strictest of green firelizards could possibly have hoped.
Last updated on the April 26th 2026