Letting Fosterlings bathe a dragon

Writers: April, Eimi
Date Posted: 19th September 2005

Characters: Nocte, Gaiya
Description: Nocte lets Gaiya's fosterlings bathe Quylith while the two of them talk.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 7, day 14 of Turn 3

Nocte remembered her promise to Gaiya to allow her fosterlings to assist in Quylith's washing. She quickly scribbled a note to the young woman and sent Hope off with it. She wanted to talk to her about her young male friend and their new found feelings. She found it easy to talk to the young foster mother and Quylith liked kids.

Hope found the woman quickly and flitted to a nearby object to wait for her attention.

Her fosterling's excited screams at seeing the flit appear caught Gaiya's attention. Opening the note, she smiled at the invite from her friend. "Alright, kids. Want to scrub a dragon?"

Their enthusiastic response assured that Gaiya, with fosterlings in tow, were not long in reaching the waiting pair. "We're here, Notce!"

"Wonderful! I've got plenty of brushes and a very dirty dragon. Who wants to help make her a shinny green?" She smiled at the bouncing enthusiasm. "Here you go have at it." She handed out the brushes and laughed as they converged on the moss colored green.

"I think they just want to swim with her. they'll be at it a while. She likes to play some while she is in there." she smiled at Gaiya.

"Well, thank you for suggesting it! This will give me a break for a good half-candle mark at least," Gaiya said with a smile. Of course, she would be sitting right there with her eyes on the children like a gold dragon over her clutch.

"It's not a problem. Quylith likes it and it gives me a break from having to wash her alone. Plus it's fun to watch them." She laughed as Quylith snuffled at the smallest and nudged to encourage the attention the little one was giving her. "That it is. I remember being their age and getting so excited about washing the dragons." The fostermother smiled fondly at the memory. "I especially loved helping some of the older dragonriders who couldn't wash their dragons themselves. They used to slip me treats and every once in a while a thirty-second mark if there was a gather coming up. I guess they kind of adopted me as one of their grandchildren."

"I can well imagine." she smiled at Gaiya. "By the way I took Vykor on a picnic and we have grown closer. His only problem is he keeps thinking he will never impress. He still thinks he is inferior."

Gaiya smiled at her friend. "Well, I'm sure you can convince him that you don't need a dragon to be superior in many aspects of life."

"I hope so. He is still young so he still has time to keep trying." She smiled with determination for him.

"Well, it sounds like he's lucky to have a friend like you," the fostermother said with a smile. "I take it you are still... well, _friends_ then?"

Nocte blushed a bit. "Well... we are... trying...well we are trying to have a relationship."

"What is stopping you?" Gaiya asked gently.

"Nerves." she said simply.

"You're nervous? You think he doesn't like you?"

"No, I think it's because I'm afraid he will think he isn't good enough for me and then not want to see me again." She sighed. Gaiya blinked at the greenrider a couple times. Finally she replied, "Well, that's just silly, Notce. He wouldn't want you because _you're_ too good for _him_? I think you are over analyzing his inferiority problem."

"I wish I was. He believes he isn't good for anything. I mean I have had him open up a bit and we did have a wonderful moment when Hope was flown by his Wavebird, but the truth is he still has some serious issues to work through. Then there is the problem of how he will react to Quylith's first flight. He says he can handle it, but I'm afraid he will be crushed by the aftermath." She sighed her frustration.

"Ah, I see." Gaiya could still not understand why holdbreds had such trouble with mating flights. It was not like it was based on the _riders_ feelings after all, and their reaction was more to the strong emotions of their dragon. "Well, you have no choice but to trust that he can handle it. You can't stop Quiylith from rising, and if he wants to be a dragonrider that is something he will have to understand."

"I guess I'll have to trust him to be alright. Problem is I am still a little nervous about that flight too."

"Well, I take that you have... uh," Gaiya lowered her voice so only the girl could hear her. "You've had some experience, haven't you?"

"Twice, once with a smith a friend of mine set me up with and once with Vykor. It was due to our flits." She blushed a bit.

"Well, I think you're going to need a _little_ more experience before your green rises. At least from what I have been told," she conceded. Gaiya had often wondered what a mating flight would be like. But that was the reward saved for those who risked their lives to keep Pern free of Thread. "Perhaps Vykor would be willing to help you in that way. Maybe he just needs to know that he is also needed."

"You think so? Perhaps I will have to talk to him about it." She glanced out as she thought about it. "Looks like the little ones are getting a bit tired." She smiled as she saw the littlest was curled up in the forearm of her dragon.

"Yes, and I'm sure Quylith would like to have a _real_ bath," Gaiya said with a fond smile. She did love the children so.

"Shall we schedule for another bathing session perhaps for the next rest day?" She smiled as she got to her feet.

"Sure! And you can give me an update on how things are going with you and Vykor," Gaiya said with a smile before calling the children to her.

"Deal."

Last updated on the September 20th 2005

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Letting Fosterlings bathe a dragon