Offers of Friendship

Writers: Devin, Steel
Date Posted: 21st June 2026

Characters: T'thalin, K'mai
Description: While their dragons make friends, K'mai learns something interesting about T'thalin.
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 1, day 21 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: M'kadja, I'serin, Helanth (D'ltero), N'vanik, Kadira

K'mai

Sebeth popped in over Barrier Lake and began circling for a landing. }:Hello, Roxarith! Does yours have time to meet with mine?:{

Weyrlings were busy, but it was a restday so K'mai hoped T'thalin would have at least a few minutes to meet with him.

}:Hello.:{ Roxarith greeted, conferred with his rider a moment before he continued. }:Mine and I are free, but I am sleepy. We will meet you by the Lake, he says.:{

Sebeth landed and crooned a greeting to the little bronze, eyes whirling with interest.

"Hi T'thalin!" K'mai waved before he dismounted. "He's gotten so big already!" he said as he admired the pale bronze.

Roxarith arched his neck proudly at being admired, and rumbled a greeting back at the bigger dragon. Well... tried to rumble. It came out a little bit squeaky still.

T'thalin, for his part, brightened at the sight of K'mai, and waved back. "Hi!" He greeted.

}:Hello.:{ Roxarith added, to Sebeth. }:Yours is a friend of Mine? ... I shall allow it.:{

Sebeth lowered his head. }:Ah, you are a proud one. Yes, Mine is a friend of yours. Thank you for allowing them to spend time together.:{ He tried to hide his amusement. Sebeth didn't socialize much with bronzes, aside from Aluneth, but hatchlings were a different story.

"How are you doing?" K'mai asked.

}:My rider was lonely, before I found him.:{ Roxarith said with draconic certainty. }:He is not lonely anymore.:{ He yawned.

T'thalin ducked his head. "Roxarith!" He half-scolded. "Be nice, okay?"

The young bronze blinked. }:I am perfectly nice.:{ he responded, and lowered his head to nudge his rider gently but firmly.

T'thalin petted bronze hide at that silent request, before he took a deep breath. "Roxarith is... Um. He's a _lot_." The bronze weyrling admitted. "But he's amazing. I never... I could never have expected him."

He paused, and then added more quietly, "It's... it's maybe been a little overwhelming. And... I don't think some of my, um. Well... I don't think I'm... popular. Not that I was expecting it!" He added even more hastily.

}:_We_ are excellent. :{ Roxarith asserted, to both Sebeth and his rider, arched his neck a little bit more.

}:You are a fine pair,:{ Sebeth agreed.

"Oh really? That's too bad," K'mai said. "Maybe they just need a little time to get to know you? And you don't need to be popular, anyway. A good friend or two can make all the difference." He wished T'thalin was at Dragonsfall so he could nudge a few people his way.

"... Maybe we'll come back." T'thalin responded in offer. "When, um. When Roxarith's big enough. I mean... The weather here is nice, but. I kind of, um, miss snow."

}:Snow seems... cold.:{ Roxarith said. }:I prefer napping in the sun.:{

"I wouldn't miss snow," K'mai said with a laugh. He missed the beach. He missed _home_. He shook off that thought. "But Dragonsfall is home now, and maybe it could be home for you, too. Or maybe you'll warm to Barrier Lake." He winked at the joke.

"Well it _is_ warmer here." T'thalin agreed, with the faintest hint of his own amusement. He paused, then added, "... Thank you. For coming, I mean. I want, um. I want Roxarith to know the dragons of the people I know."

Roxarith nuzzled him again, and then eyed Sebeth. }:Mine says Yours was one of the first at a Weyr to be nice to him.:{ he told the blue. }:So... we are friends.:{

}:Mine is very nice,:{Sebeth said with warm affection. }:And I am honored to be your friend.:{

"I wanted to come see you, and it sounds like our dragons are already making friends." The bluerider smiled. "Oh, hey. There's another former Holdless in your class, isn't there? The other bronzerider? What's he like?"

T'thalin winced. "... M'kadja?" he offered up. "He's, um. We... aren't really... friends." he added.

Roxarith snorted. }:I do not wish to be friends with Melciroth.:{

"Oof, sorry I brought him up. I was thinking that maybe since you had something in common . . ." K'mai shook his head and then chuckled a little. "Then again, you do seem much more quiet and gentle than many of your peers. Did you get along with anyone still at Dragonsfall? I could bring a message for you."

T'thalin stroked Roxarith again, soothing the little bronze, before he tried an apologetic sort of half smile. "It's not your fault." He offered up. "I know, um. I know I'm not... well. That bronzeriders aren't... like me. Mostly. At least the ones I've met."

Really he'd only met a few, but. What could _he_ do? Not even counting the things they weren't supposed to think about yet.

He paused at the compliment-- was it a compliment?-- ears turned red. "Um... Maybe Kadira." He added. "She was.. really nice."

"Oh sure! I can say hello for you and maybe see if she'd like to pay you a visit, or at least write you a letter," K'mai said. "And yes, bronzeriders definitely have a certain stereotype, which is often well-earned. But you've met at least one who isn't all bold attitude -- I'serin."

"I... um. I wouldn't mind trying to be more like bronzerider I'serin." T'thalin responded. "Except... Um. Well. I wasn't... expecting bronze. At all. I thought... they only liked certain types."

}:Mine is perfect.:{ Roxarith snorted to Sebeth. }:I am helping him be even more perfect.:{

}:They do need our help sometimes, don't they?:{ Sebeth said.

"The full-of-themselves types?" K'mai joked.

"... Um." T'thalin responded intelligently. Then his face turned even more red. "I mean, yes sir!" He blurted.

Roxarith peered at his rider, faintly bemused. }:I only play chase with Helanth.:{

}:Is Helanth one of your clutchmates?:{ Sebeth asked.

"There's no need to be embarrassed about not having a giant ego." Then K'mai's eyebrow arched. "Or did you mean something else?"

}:Yes. He is a blue, like you. He likes playing.:{ Roxarith informed Sebeth.

"Roxarith's a baby." T'thalin hedged.

K'mai had a growing suspicion, but he also felt like he was trying to solve a riddle. "So Roxarith being a baby has something to do with you not wanting to say why you didn't expect a bronze . . .?"

"... Not like _that_!" T'thalin said, hastily. "... Um. It's more that we aren't supposed to, um... talk about that stuff. Yet. But... I _did_ think... blue. Or... green." Faranth this was awkward.

Roxarith eyed them both, then turned his attention to Sebeth again. }:You are a blue. Do you play like Helanth does?:{

}:Yes! I would like to play with you.:{ Sebeth crouched down, his eyes whirling faster.

"Ohhh." Well, it seemed T'thalin was more like I'serin than K'mai had thought. "Did you hear about Weyrleader N'vanik at Dolphin Cove? He has a male lover."

"... He does?" T'thalin blinked, then rallied. "I... didn't know that." He offered up.

Roxarith dropped into a crouch as well, pacing slowly and carefully toward Sebeth. Inch by inch. And then he pounced forward.

Sebeth dodged and then pounced the little bronze, though he held back since he didn't actually want to land on him.

"It's certainly not common, but it seems bronzes aren't as strict in their choices as we'd thought. Maybe I can ask if he'd come talk to you?" K'mai offered.

Roxarith bugled, though it really came out as more of a squeal, and darted in a circle, trying to get behind Sebeth.

T'thalin watched his dragon for a moment, then shook his head. "You know the _Dolphin Cove Weyrleader_? I mean... Thank you, sir, but... um. I... I think I'll be... okay?"

Sebeth ran away from Roxarith, but slowly enough that the weyrling could keep up with him.

"Oh yeah, we're friends." K'mai was going to mention it to him anyway and see if N'vanik was willing to help make T'thalin feel a little less alone.

Roxarith bounded after Sebeth.

"I... I can't imagine being _friends_ with a Weyrleader." T'thalin responded, then swallowed. "I suppose I, um. I'll have to get used to... knowing important people. I'm... I'm a bronzerider now."

His gaze shifted to Roxarith. "He... doesn't usually initiate play. I'm... glad he likes Sebeth."

K'mai smiled at the playing dragons. "Sebeth is usually a little intimidated by bronzes, but he likes playing with weyrlings no matter what color. And I didn't think I'd be friends with Weyrleaders, but I've known I'serin my whole life and we were friends before he became Weyrleader. And N'vanik is actually really fun."

Sebeth slowed just a bit. }:You caught me!:{

"Maybe... they'll stay friends." T'thalin offered up. "I, um. I know it's... I don't want to impose, but... maybe we could be friends? If, um. If that's all right?"

Roxarith pounced at Sebeth's tail, though he was careful not to land on it. }:Victory is mine!:{ the bronze announced with a squeaky bugle.

"Of _course_ we can be friends!" K'mai squeezed T'thalin's shoulder.

}:Now I will catch _you_!:{ The blue turned, trying not to be too obvious about giving Roxarith a head start.

T'thalin offered him a smile in return that was just a bit brighter. "Thank you, sir. Um, I mean... K'mai."

Roxarith, long and lean and almost lanky at this stage of growth, started to bound away, then jumbled up his forepaws and tripped. He went sprawling with an indignant squeal.

"Roxarith! Are you all right?" the bronze weyrling blurted.

The young bronze snorted, scrambled back to his paws. }:I am fine.:{

K'mai covered a smile.

}:Sometimes we fall, and that is okay,:{ Sebeth said.

}:I could never fall.:{ Roxarith asserted, utterly certain in the way only a dragon could be, despite having just tumbled.

"He'll, um... get more graceful." T'thalin assured.

Last updated on the September 2nd 2026

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