Promising Flight

Writers: Halyonix, Heather
Date Posted: 1st June 2026

Characters: Cidra, R'vkal, Penthra
Description: R'vkal tries to visit Cidra
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 1, day 7 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: By'ler, Oriene

Cidra

Notes:
*****

He still wasn’t sure this was a good idea. They’d only met once, well, twice, but she probably didn’t remember him from the Hatching that first time. But R’vkal had remembered her. And after spending that afternoon with her, By’ler, and Oriene, he wondered…

Well, it was a stupid thing to wonder and yet here he was, getting on Indrath’s back, showing his dragon where to go.

}: Think they ever get used to seeing dragons? :{ Indrath asked as they reappeared over the Hall.

**Doesn’t seem so,** R’vkal thought back as they landed. Now, how to ask for her? Make it formal? No, he wasn’t here on Weyr business. But he didn’t want to interrupt whatever she was doing. Shells, maybe he should’ve just sent a letter.

Indrath nudged him encouragingly. R’vkal took a deep breath. “Right,” he agreed. Couldn’t do anything just standing there like a lout. He started walking towards the Hall to find her.

“Oh! Who’s that?” Penthra’s elbow was sharp as it jabbed into Cidra’s ribcage.

Eyes narrowed, Cidra hissed at the girl beside her. “Watch it!”

“Look! A bronzerider. He’s cute!” Penthra seemed completely unfazed by Cidra’s dagger eyes.

Glancing in the direction Penthra was looking, Cidra recognized the bronzerider in question. “Oh, it’s just R’vkal,” she said to Penthra, as if it were no big deal that she knew a _bronzerider_. She knew it would drive Penthra crazy.

“No, you don’t,” Penthra said with a roll of her eyes.

“Fine, I’ll prove it to you,” Cidra said, pushing to her feet and grabbing Penthra by the elbow. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”

“_Cidra!_” Penthra hissed, but found herself moving along with the other dolphineer.

“R’vkal,” Cidra called to get the dragonrider’s attention.

There she was! Well, that had been easier than he had thought. He waved at her. Then he noticed she had someone else in tow. “Hey, Cidra,” he greeted once they got close. He could hear Indrath gliding over to say hello as well.

Penthra gasped at the hulking dragon that flew toward. Grabbing Cidra, she thrust the other girl in front of her like a shield.

Cidra’s face was deadpan. “Penthra. Why are you clutching me like you’re about to be lunch?”

“That… that dragon is _huge_.” Penthra peeked over the other girl’s shoulder.

“He’s friendly,” R’vkal assured them. Indrath lowered his head to inspect Cidra. “Didn’t mean to show up unannounced or something. Just uh…wasn’t sure how to get in touch with you.”

“It’s fine, really,” Cidra said, while casting a long-suffering glance over her shoulder at Penthra. “She’s just being ridiculous. She didn’t think I knew a bronzerider, so I told her I would introduce her to one.”

Penthra pinched the back of Cidra’s arm, earning a hiss and a sharply tossed elbow.

R’vkal tipped his head politely. “Nice to meet you,” he said to Penthra. Was she going to hang around the whole time? It would be rude of him to ask if she could leave but he wanted to talk to Cidra alone. Maybe just this once, she could have a friend while he figured out how to contact her better next time. “He’s friendly, I promise,” he said again as Indrath gently nudged Cidra for attention instead but the reassurance was directed at Penthra.

Cidra boldly scratched the bronze’s head, as if this was not the first time she had done so. “You are looking especially handsome today, Indrath. Has R’vkal been feeding you well?”

Indrath let out a happy rumble, dipping his head as if he were answering her. “Doesn’t eat too much for his size,” R’vkal answered. He wasn’t sure if Indrath was still growing but he was already larger than some of the other bronzes. Seeing that Cidra wasn’t afraid to be so close to his lifemate, R’vkal had a sudden idea. “Would you…want to take a flight?”

The dolphineer’s eyes widened a smidge and then she shot Penthra a “get lost” look over her shoulder, before smiling at R’vkal. “I thought you’d never ask.”

With a quick ask from his rider, Indrath knelt down. “Put your foot on his arm,” R’vkal instructed. “Use the strap to pull yourself up.” His hands hovered close, ready to help but also not sure if he should touch her.

While her body was thin and willowy, days spent swimming had strengthened her arms enough that Cidra gave mounting the dragon a _solid_ effort. If it hadn’t been for the dragon’s helping armlift, she wasn’t sure if she’d have been able to do it by herself.
“It’s a lot higher up here than I expected,” she said down to R’vkal.

Proudly, R’vkal answered, “Indrath’s one of the bigger bronzes in the Weyr.” In place behind Cidra, R’vkal said aloud, “Up we go,” as Indrath unfurled his wings and took off. R’vkal’s hands instinctively went to Cidra’s hips to keep her steady as they rose.

Cidra didn’t mind R’vkal’s hands, if only because she was so thrilled with the sensation of flight. Her chin-length hair swept back from her youthful face as they soared upward. Rather than being afraid, she leaned forward eagerly as the sky came closer. She understood, a little, why Oriene had wanted to try her luck at Impressing one of the beasts, despite being a sure thing as a future dolphineer.

Indrath took them on a wide, easy flight over the ocean. At his rider’s mental suggestion, he flew low enough for his claws to skim the surface of the waves. Some of the dolphins leaped high into the air, trying to say hello. “Hope they don’t knock into him,” R’vkal remarked, though he didn’t think the playful creatures would.

“They’re smarter than that,” Cidra assured R’vkal. Seeing the juxtaposition of the dragon’s strength and the dolphins agility as they flew over the water was a reminder of just how lucky she was to live at the Dolphin Hall and have access to both worlds.

They didn’t fly long, just a lap or two around the bay area, before Indrath angled in for a landing. “Hang on,” R’vkal warned as he tightened his arm around her a little, but it wasn’t needed. Indrath landed with a gentle thump. He swiveled his head around to look happily at his passengers. “We uh…we can do this again, if you want. Another time,” R’vkal offered, feeling nervous.

“Definitely,” Cidra agreed as she stretched out her fingers to meet the tip of Indrath’s nose. “Next time you can bring snacks,” she said to R’vkal over her shoulder.

That sounded like a date to him!

Surprised happiness showed in his eyes. “Sure!” he said, probably too quickly. But he cleared his throat and said again, “Sure. Next restday?”

“Sure,” Cidra said with a shrug of one slender shoulder. R’vkal was handsome enough, and best of all, she would maybe get to fly again.

Last updated on the June 8th 2026

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Promising Flight