Though Years Have Rolled Over Their Heads

Writers: Devin, Draconafin
Date Posted: 3rd October 2026

Characters: D'ren, Jenasie
Description: Old friends catch up while playing with dolphins
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 7, day 28 of Turn 13
Notes: Mentioned: Az'uka, Zariah (not by name), Zerias

Menanth landed at the Dolphin Hall and D'ren slipped off his neck. Shading his eyes, the bronzerider looked around and brightened when he saw his friend. "Jenasie! How are you?"

D'ren had met her Turns ago when he was just out of weyrlinghood and they'd kept in touch even through his ups and downs and transferring to different Weyrs. He hadn't visited in a while, but they'd exchanged letters since the last time he was at the Dolphin Hall.

Dragons came and went around the Dolphin Hall frequently; thus no single one was enough to draw the dolphineer's attention directly. She was not some young idle hopeful looking to get Searched after all. Over the Turns she had known many riders; and there were those she was lucky enough to call friends. It was Chino excited chattering over the latest arrival, and his insistence, that had her start turning in that direction as the rider called her name. An easy smile broke on her features as she recognised her friend. Making her way over, she answered; "D'ren!" the name came easily. They had been keeping in touch over the Turns. Her gaze darted to his dragon and then back to the rider. "Last time I saw Menanth he was this big," she jokingly held a hand at hip level. Menanth was never that small in her experience. "I've been well. And the two of you? Barrier Lake treating you well?"

"Well enough," he said with a nod. "How's Zarias? Would she be up for a swim with Menanth?" The bronze's eyes whirled eagerly.

"Hm," was the 'I see' style tone out of the dolphineer as she heard the rider's answer. 'Well enough' -- Being who she was; the statement had Jenasie quirking a mental eyebrow in concern. She always worried about friends; and while D'ren was unlikely to be hiding anything she couldn't help herself. She knew what he had been gracious enough to tell her over the Turns; and that was all she needed to know until he was willing and ready. So she shoved her apprehension away turning her outward musing to the questions he had posed. "Hmmm..." the second time it was clearly drawn out as if she had to think about the dolphin in question; "Tell you the truth. She's been spoiled. Az'uka brought a greenrider friend down and her son down the other day. Zerias, nearly identical names."

"As for a swim?; Always!" Jenasie answered the second question, slipping a glance to the dragon in question. Which caused her to smile again; knowing that she had seen his eagerness. "I sent Chino down early to keep watch," was the explanation to the pair. They had begun drifting that way naturally. Given the Hall was always active; there were always members of the pod nearby. They would soon enough catch sight of people on the beach, without having to use the Bell. Consequently it was only used for matters of high importance; and while the dolphins might disagree, that didn't really cover play dates. "They shouldn't be too far out.”

D'ren had to make Menanth stop on the shore so he could remove the riding straps. He piled both the straps and his riding jacket well away from the water as the bronze happily splashed into the ocean, bugling to greet the dolphins.

D'ren sometimes felt bad about taking Menanth away from this. He could have transferred back after River Bluff was destroyed, but there were still too many bad memories tied to Dolphin Cove to make him want to live there again. After watching Menanth for a moment, he looked over at Jenasie. "A greenrider friend, huh?"

Chino made his appearance -- apparently out of nowhere -- as the small party reached the shore. Chirping and nodding at D'ren, he made a dive for the pile of riding straps to curl up for a nap. While the firelizard liked dolphins, he didn't like getting wet, and his aquatic friends didn't play fair. So instead he would often put himself in charge of watching over the gear people wanted to remain dry. Jenasie shot him a mental reminder to behave himself as his tail vanished into the pile of leathers. Answering only with a chirp that sounded oddly like 'I know'. Although it was drowned out by the squeal of dolphins from the water; demanding that the dragon come and play.

"One of a handful he hasn't tried to sleep with" Jenasie answered easily enough when D'ren asked. Her brother was a known flirt, and known to make the most of the open relationships that dragonriders could have. Yet he remained openly respectful where he could and tended to stick with willing parties. When it came to those relationships anyway. While Az'uka hadn't found himself a direct weyrmate he made friends with just about everyone. That said though he could be downright overprotective of his friends, and family. Which he had proven time and time again, even when Jenasie had had her first weyrmate. Forever ago. Much like this friendship. She gave her head a mental shake and let it go. Given all the moving around D'ren had done it was possible he had run into her brother while at Dragonsfall; but riders were busy people and not all paths crossed often. Meaning it was enough for people to do little more than know of each other. "If I am honest about the whole thing, he was probably doing it just to see the smile on the kid's face. He's a big old softy, but you didn't hear it from me."

"Jen. Rider. Play?" Zarias whistled from where she was playing with the others, and splashing Menanth. With an actual shake of her head Jenaise looked between her two friends. D'ren knew playing with dolphins meant getting wet. "I am pretty sure you all missed a spot on Menanth!"

"Where?" D'ren tried to look for dull or dirty patches, but it was hard to see with his dragon half-submerged and heading deeper. Then he shook his head. "Doesn't matter much now." He shifted his gaze to the eager dolphin. It was hot here, especially compared to Barrier Lake, and D'ren was already getting warm even with his jacket off. "I suppose I could go for a swim. I did put my shorts on just in case."

Jenasie shook her head again as her so called diversion for the dolphins had been torn to shreds by D'ren taking the bait too. Menanth's hide was immaculate as far as she could tell; but if it had kept the dolphins for splashing them for five then she was willing to try it and fail. Of course D'ren remembered the so called issues when it came to playing with dolphins! Everyone got wet. It looked like he was trying to get ahead of them. She found herself laughing as the bronzerider rapidly went from knee deep, to waist and then chest deep. "Gone from dragon walking to swimming?" she teased the rider over the playful dolphin squeals. A grin spilt her features again as she twisted her long hair into a tight knotted bun. "You're going to have to keep up then!" With that she dove under the waves. In a few powerful strokes halved the distance between dragon and rider easily. Several dolphins whistled alongside. Keen to join in the fun, offering dorsal fins as handholds to both dolphineer and rider. "There are a few sand bars not too far out if you felt like a goal."

"Sure." A smile brightened his face. "I don't get as much chance for swimming at Barrier Lake, and I was never a match for a dolpineer, so if you're looking for competition I'm going to be a disappointment."

"Pretty sure cheating is the only way to get the advantage out here." Jenasie remarked, waving a hand the gathered dolphins, "I still can't beat the natives here." She linked her fingers together and showed D'ren how to hook such a hold over a dolphin's dorsal fin for a lift. Given the dolphins were in it just as much for the fun. They would dart in and out between the humans; offering their fins for a lift. "Although if I am honest; Menanth could beat us all out there," Which was true enough if the dragon was to fly, "Ready?" she half had to shout over the dolphins as they clued in; whistles and cries of "Race" drowning out the sound of the waves.

D'ren made sure his grip was secure before he shouted back, "Ready!"

Jenasie nodded to show that she had she had heard D'ren before she whistled and waved Zarias over. "Just be warned, they might try and swap on you" looking out at the gathered dolphins she addressed them "Race time! 1, 2, 3 -- GO!" She dove back under the water and hooked her hands over Zarias's dorsal fin and the dolphin powered into the water.

The whole pod whistled and squealed as the race began. Several pushing up against each other to make breaking the waves easier. Or to ride on the wake left by others. Some even cut across the waves rolling into the cove, almost like surfing; just to jump off the crests and vanish again under the water. Every now and then another dolphin would come up alongside one of the humans and duck its head to slip into the hold they had, offering a fresh burst of speed with each swap. They would break the surface every now and then too to let their passengers catch their breath. It was a brutal learning curve if one got it wrong. But if one got knocked off another dolphin would pick up the charge.

By the time they reached the sand bar Jenasie's hair had fallen down into a wave tossed mess, and she was breathing hard with adrenaline. Of course though, there was no winner. With the pod still chattering away in dolphin, and congratulating each other for all getting there together. Squeals of "Again!" were already being taken up in excitement as the dolphineer turned around to make sure the dragonrider had made it in one piece.

D'ren was laughing and a bit breathless as he floated among the dolphins. "You're all so _fast_." He rubbed the nose of the nearest dolphin.

Menanth had come with them, following along much slower than the dolphins, though some had doubled back or slowed to keep pace with the bronze. }:This is fun!:{ he said as his head rose high above the gentle waves.

"You know..." Jenasie mused as she twisted her hair up and out of the way again. "When I was younger I used to believe that racing was the only reason dolphins escorted ships"

"Watch Currents. Save people..." Zarias remarked. It sounded like the start of a list as the dolphin seemed to cock its head.

"Play with dragons?" The dolphineer questioned over her partner, implying that she knew better now. The squeals that followed only seemed to echo with agreement. She looked at D'ren with a cheeky smile on her features. "We can always race back." No that she was encouraging them to leave, the dragonrider pair was welcome as long as they wanted to stay. "They could do this," she waved implying their playful antics, "All day."

"One more." It had been a while since D'ren had felt this good. "And then they can play with Menanth some more. Maybe we can relax a bit in the water?" Gentle swimming or just bobbing in the warm ocean sounded wonderful.

Hearing that D'ren was up for another race, Jenasie found that she was already waving the dolphins back in. It was no secret that she was just as easily persuaded as they were at times. Especially when it came to having fun. Well, given that D'ren was happy to just chill in the surf for a bit too there was no reason to go back to the beach. Also, now that she thought about it they were already half way out there. "There is a chain of small islands a bit further out." The dolphins didn't need to be told twice and were already swarming closer to both humans. Bumping against legs and sides in encouragement. As Jenasie positioned her hands over Zarias dorsal fin she glanced over at D'ren "You can count it down this time."
"One, two . . . three!"

Last updated on the October 27th 2026

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Though Years Have Rolled Over Their Heads