The Reality of Blue and the Dream of Bronze

Writers: Eimi, Stasha
Date Posted: 16th December 2007

Characters: M'delon, L'rew
Description: Madelon gives Larazew an unsuccessful tour of the weyr
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 4 of Turn 4
Notes: Takes place just after "Let Guilt Be His Punishment"

Even with the clear sunny skies above the weyr, the air was still crisp and cold, forcing Madelon to cling to his thick coat for warmth.
However, the cold that bit at his face quickly faded once he made it to the winter lake of Dragons Fall.

There were some riders cleaning their beasts in the warm waters of the great cavern, Madelon observed. Excellent, he thought to himself.
If there was one thing that always brought a smile to a new candidates face, it was looking at the prospect of what they might become. Even the broody Lazarew could not keep a straight face to the sight of a green dragon playfully splashing their rider with water. Thinking of Lazarew, where was he? Madelon wondered. He hope he had given good directions to the weyr winter lake, when he told Larazew to meet him.

Lazarew had been sitting in the most inconspicuous place he could find, his arms curled around his knees. He had seen Madelon enter, and he knew he was looking for him. It was so annoying having to rely on someone else to fill him in on everything, especially a little kid like Madelon. Back home he knew everything. Here... he felt like an idiot constantly and it was really pissing him off. But what could he do?
Go home? Tuck his tail between his legs, beg his father to take him back and be a smelly ovine herder the rest of his life? No way! He could never show his father that he wondered if he had made a mistake in coming. The shame would kill him.

"Just get this over with..." he muttered to himself as he rose to his full height. "Madelon, over here."

Madelon seemed to perk like a canine that heard his master call him. He walked briskly to Lazarew, as fast as his legs could carry him. "I'm glad you made it," he welcomed Lazarew with a grin spread across his face. "Have you been to the winter lake before?" He looked over his shoulder back to the bathing dragons before looking back at Lazarew, secretly hoping the sight of the dragons would lighten his mood.

His companion just shook his head. No, he hadn't really been _anywhere_ yet. And to be honest, he wasn't quite sure what he was doing here.

Nothing? Wow, what a tough character. "Well, I wanted to show you this first because, well, it's the lakes, and..." Madelon searched desperately. He realized the weyr was so huge that he did not know where to start with out confusing or boring Larazew. He need something, something that would cheer him up, and... The perfect solution came gliding in on two brown wings. "I was supposed to meet B'shen here," he fibbed, "so _he_ and I could show you around. I mean, I can only show you so much, but B'shen," he continued with what he considered successful improvisation. "B'shen!" he called out to his old friend as Penesath landed. He ran over to him quickly barely giving Lazarew time to react.

The husky rider dismounted from his beast and called back. "Hey , I haven't seen you in a while." The rider took Madelon's hand into a shake before pulling him in for a pat on the back.

"Well, now we can catch up, and," he added in a low voice "you can do me a favor by showing the new candidate around." His eyes begged before looked back over his shoulders to Larazew.

"Heheheh. You owe me one," he whispered back jovially. He looked over Madelon to the candidate. "I'm B'shen," he stuck out his hand for a friend introduction.

Well! Someone a bit more Lazarew's age! And a brownrider too! The new candidate couldn't help but feel a new spark of interest as his eyes wondered over to the large brown behind the newcomer. "Lazarew.
Is that brown yours?"

"Yeah," he replied with some affection in his tone. "His names Penesath."

The brown's green facet eyes seemed to lower was if he were bowing a welcome.

"I impressed him three turns ago. Shards, Madelon was there to witness it." B'shen looked back over to his friend.

"Yeah, but I wish I was standing too," Madelon responded with some envy. No matter, he would get his chance. Just one more sevenday!

"So you're going to be standing in a sevenday, huh?" B'shen stepped over to Penesath removing the riding straps from the brown, though he kept his eyes on Larazew giving him his full attention.

"If that's when the Eggs really Hatch, then I guess so. T'mahl said not to get our hopes up." His eyes continued to wander to the large, faceted eye. Would he have a brown like that one? Shards, it was so much bigger then that little blue that brought him here. And a bronze would be even bigger! "So do you fight Thread?"

"Yes, for a few months now. Luckily we haven't been scored yet, but some of my clutch mates have been." A shadow crossed his face before Penesath's attics lightened his mood.

The brown dragon sprung gently into in the air and glided over the lake, then dived nose first into the water. His dive created small waves that lapped to the shore of the lake.

Madelon quickly moved out of the way, the water only catching the tips of his boots. "Thanks Penesath," Madelon spoke with some bitterness, but he could never hold a grudge against any dragon. He chuckled to himself as Penesath breached out of the water before splashing back into the lake.

B'shen shifted his attention back to Lazarew and Madelon. "Is that what you're looking forward to when you impress?" He asked Lazarew as he pulled a long scrubber from his pack.

"I dunno. I guess so," Lazarew replied, trying to sound nonchalant even as his imagination was turning. He could just picture it. Him riding on a huge flaming brown like Penesath, or maybe even a bronze. Why, he'd come back from a fall, covered in black crackdust and he'd land in the Gathersquare at his old Hold and they would all let up a great resounding cheer - Lazarew, the protector of Pern, the Hero of Rolling Hills Hold has returned! And wouldn't that just show his father! He'd see his son was never meant to be some sharding, ignorant herder covered in dung and smelling of ovine. He would be a dragonrider... "So how did you get him to Impress to you?"

Madelon caught the subtle chuckle from B'shen. "You don't _get_ a dragon to impress you." Madelon could not help but laugh himself.
Lazarew really was green to the weyr. "They chose you." He looked up to B'shen who was watching his brown swim in the water with a green dragon at his side.

"You can't coax a dragon like you can a firelizard. It's completely up to the dragon to chose you _or_ someone else." B'shen's eyes focused back on Larazew and Madelon. "I remember standing on those hatching grounds thinking I was going to impress the blue in front of me," he laughed softly as he recalled the impression. "I didn't even know Penesath was there until he butted my leg and asked me if I wanted him." Again another fond laugh escaped him. "After I told him 'of course' he told me his name, and then began to cry for food. They're always hungry when they first hatch. But I don't think that answered your question, did it?"

Lazarew dug his toe into the sand. It was obvious from the way they were laughing that he had asked the stupidest question on Pern. Well shards, how was he supposed to know all this crackdust? "No, that's about it."

"Don't worry," Madelon sensed Larazew's slight discomfort. "You're not the only one to ask that question. Shards, candidates that are born here don't even know better," and a few quickly came to mind. "A lot of people like to think that dragons chose the most attractive, the strongest, or the most charismatic candidates on the hatching grounds, but it's not true."

"Madelon's right," B'shen sided. "But don't worry Larazew. You were found on search, which means there's potential in you to impress. Just keep an open mind, and an open heart, and maybe you'll come off the sands with a dragon, maybe even a brown or bronze."

"I will _never_ Impress a blue or a green," Lazarew growled, embarrassed that they would even insinuate such a thing about him!

"There's nothing wrong with a blue." B'shen knew exactly what came to Larazew's mind. After all, he was hold bred, and did not know better.
"There are blue riders have preferences to women too, and like to keep it that way. Remember," his head motioned to the rider of the green dragon that was swimming with Penesath. "Green dragons do impress women." The comment was quickly followed by a wink.

"Are you calling me a woman?" Lazarew shot back, sure that the brownrider was being downright insulting now!

"Of course not," B'shen laughed.

Madelon found himself laughing too, but then quickly stopped when he saw the aggrivation it was bring Larazew.

"No," B'shen shook off his laugh. "What I was trying to suggest was that as a blue rider, you are still able to be with a woman, female greenriders to be precise. In fact blue dragons, when it comes to green mating flights, are more likely to catch the greens of those female riders because your beast is quick enough to catch them. Not to mention the fact you have more of a _selection_," he ended with a sporting grin. He paused for a moment turning his attention to the approaching brown. "Of course I don't wish you were a blue," he responded to an unheard remark from Penesath. Again a pause, and a laugh. "Yes, yes she will be yours, next time." His eyes looked back to the green dragon that his dragon was swimming with. She stepped to shore, to allow an elegant female rider clean her. "See what I mean." He eyed the rider for a moment.

"That's Tawena," Madelon motioned to the greenrider as she began to scrub her dragon. "B'shen's had a thing for her ever sense she transfered her. But her dragon was caught by a blue at her last flight."

"Which is a mistake Penesath refuses to repeat," B'shen added. "Now, if you don't mind, I have a greenrider that is urning for my company."

"No she isn't," Madelon responded attempting to bring B'shen back to reality.

"We'll see." The look of a challenge spread on B'shen's face. "Oh, and good luck Larazew. See you on the hatching grounds." He and Penesath eagerly began to make their way to Tawena and her beast.

"But I thought you were going to help me show Larazew around!" How frustrating! Madelon thought. "He'll never catch her," Madelon remarked after a pause of frustration. "Penesath is too big to catch that green."

"And you're probably too small to catch her rider..." Lazarew muttered under his breath, still stinging from the brownrider's insinuation. He was glad to see him go.

"Come on," Madelon made a futile attempt to cheer him up. "I'll show you the basics." He sighed, motioning for Larazew to follow. He was hoping to bring spirit to the boy, but obviously Madelon's attempts had failed. Madelon would just make the tour short, and painless, show him the basics, because obviously Larazew was not very fond of Madelon's company, and to his surprise B'shen did not meet Larazew's approval either. Why did he become so offended? Madelon knew there was something about the hold and craft bred that he would never understand.

Last updated on the December 23rd 2007

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The Reality of Blue and the Dream of Bronze