Pleasant Golden Meeting

Writers: AL, Jelena
Date Posted: 26th February 2012

Characters: Meledei, Naton
Description: Naton meets a pleasant young lady and discovers she is a goldrider.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 6, day 6 of Turn 6

Meledei leaned over and ran a hand along the head of a dolphin who
popped up the water. Her feet dangled in the water and one of the
creatures had come to investigate and greet the young goldrider. "Well
hello there." She laughed as the animal bobbed back down, then up
again. "Come to keep me company?"

Naton had just been heading for his lunch when he noticed a strange new
figure at the docks. It was a lovely figure, that he had to add, but a
strange one nonetheless. Perhaps this was one of the greenriders Opater
had been telling him about. Then again, she looked like she was more
than a bit too young for him. Still, it couldn't hurt to say hi. Maybe
she had an older sister? Walking down the steps and onto the docks, the
Journeyman strolled to Meledei casually. "Hello there," he called out
in greeting cheerfully.

Meledei straightened, leaving the poor dolphin without someone to rub
him when he bobbed above the surface. A smile sprang immediately to the
young woman's lips and she lifted a rather went hand to wave in
addition to greeting him with a friendly, "Hello back." before he drew
closer. "Hi. Is this your partner?" She asked, motioning toward the
creature in question.

Naton smiled at the young lady pleasantly as he came within proper
speaking range. When she asked him about the dolphin in the water, a
somewhat melancholic expression came over his face briefly. "No, I'm
without a partner at the moment." He simply said, before recovering and
smiling another smile as he observed the playful dolphin in the water.
"I'm Senior Journeyman Naton." he introduced himself pleasantly.

"Meledei, nice to meet you." She didn't include her rank, but she didn't
really _need_ too. After all, it was no secret who she was and Meledei
didn't really like flaunting her position. Besides, she was the low man
on the pole, so to speak, the most junior goldrider at the Weyr. "I
haven't seen you around before. Are you new, or did I just some how
miss you?"

"I'm very pleased to meet you too." Naton said totally earnest, "I'm
pretty new, arrived from the North last month." Naton said with a nod.
"Do you come to the Hall often?" Naton was positive she wasn't from the
Hall, or he would have remembered seeing her.

"I come from time to time. Drills and the Records Room keep me busy, and
I've been staying with Elleth on the sands a lot." As she spoke, Meledei
flipped her hair behind her shoulder, revealing knots which would give
more meaning to what she had just said. "But I like to visit and spend
time with the dolphins when I can."

Meledei's words had Naton thinking, and as she flipped her hair his
surprise was audible as he sucked in air. "Ma'am, I'm sorry, I had no
idea." He stammered, all of a sudden nothing alike the easy going guy
that had just walked up to her. "I'm new.. I don't know all the faces
yet and.. oh, forgive me for being rude!"

The girl sat there and blinked at the man for a moment before she
realised her hair had been covering her knots the entire time and he
hadn't really known who she was. "Oh please, you weren't rude, you were
just fine." She waved dismissively. "And if you call me again I'll have
you keelhauled...or something." A grin broke out over her face. She'd
never do such a thing and the expression said exactly that. "Just call
me Meledei."

Naton seemed a bit hesitant for a moment, but then he nodded. "If you
insist, Ma- Meledei." he said as his grin returned to his face slowly.
"I have never had the honour to meet a goldrider before. I didn't
figure you would be visiting the Dolphin Hall."

"Oh I come here from time to time." Meledei twisted around, her eyes
finding the path that led back to the Weyr proper. "Really, with you
guys so close, I'm surprised more dragonriders don't. I'm sure plenty
do for pregnancy, but...well, the dolphins are so much fun."

"Well, we do get a fair share of dragonrider visitors," Naton agreed.
"Just not goldriders. Or not that I know of anyway." He looked at
Meledei curiously for a moment. "You weren't a dolphineer before you
impressed, or something like that?"

"No, I was a beastcrafter. Whomever doesn't come down is missing out."
Meledei laughs and shakes her head. "So you're from the North? Where
specifically? How do you like the South?"

"I came from a smaller Dolphin Hall up North," Naton said with a small
smile. "But I love it here so much already, I wonder what took me so
long to get this transfer! The people, the weather, it is all good." He
paused for a moment, looking a little more serious. "Not that I don't
miss my friends and family back home, but this is better for me in the
end."

"What brought you here?" Sometimes it was health, but usually that was
with people who were older or people who'd had injures. Occasionally,
though, Meledei knew that there were people who'd had health problems
all their life and a warmer climate helped.

"I needed a change of scenery," Naton said, as his smile faltered for a
moment, before it bravely returned to his face. "And this place did the
trick! Have you always lived up South yourself?"

"Oh yes, born and raised here. Well, I was born at Thayan Peak and we
came here after the earthquake." Meledei wondered if he knew about the
history of the Weyr - if he didn't, she'd have to get him some to read!

"Ahh an earthquake? When was that?" Naton asked. He couldn't say he knew
all about the area's history, but he'd heard a few things around and
this seemed like a good opportunity to expand his knowledge about his
new home.

"Back in 1195." It had been a scary time and really, that was the
biggest impression that had been left on the girl. "I was only about
five when it happened." Meledei had only been five when she lost her
mother.

"Wow," Naton said with compassion. "That must have been very scary at
that age. You didn't get hurt, I hope?" His own childhood had been
pretty uneventful, but he could imagine what a big impact such an event
could have on a child that young.

"No. My father and I were actually elsewhere when it happened. We
were on a father daughter trip." Meledei made it sound so casual, even
to herself, but she could feel a pang deep down inside. Some wounds
got easier to bear, but that didn't mean they ever completely healed.
She hadn't talked about her mother in a long time - and her father
rarely spoke of her. At least, not to his daughter.

"Well, that is something at least," Naton said, oblivious to Meledei's
true loss that day. "Do you still get to see your father much, since
you impressed?" He then asked curiously. One of his old friends back
at the hall had been searched one day and they hardly ever heard from
him again. He wondered if it was like that for everyone.

"Oh yes, he's here at the Weyr. We're both busy enough we don't see
each other _every_ day but every few days or so." That was the nice
thing about being in the same Weyr as family - you didn't feel so
disconnected. Meledei regarded the dolphineer. "Do you still have
family back North?"

"That has to be nice," Naton said with a smile. Then he nodded
seriously. "Yeah, I do. I left quite a bit behind coming here. I'm
going to try to write everyone regularly." One day, Naton would like
to get himself a firelizard. That would help so much with delivering
those letters.

"Gotta be hard." Meledei mused softly. "You know, if you ever want to
visit, some dragonriders might be willing to take you. Shards, I
_like_ going places so if you ever want to go and I'm not busy with
something, I'll take you."

"You would?" Naton said, his eyes seeming to grow in their sockets. "I
wouldn't even dream of asking that of you. You have so much more
important things to do than to carry around a silly old dolphineer on
a family visit!"

"I do?" Meledei's brow formed creases as if she was trying to think
really really hard. "Liiike...what?" She broke out into a grin. "I
_like_ to travel so really, the excuse to actually go somewhere else
doesn't bother me at all. As long as it's on a rest day."

"Wow, that is really kind," Naton said, obviously grateful. "Did I
just make friends with a goldrider?" he winked at her to show he was
joking, but part of him really was impressed.

"I think you just did." Meledei laughed and then stood up, clapping
her hands against her thighs. "I've gotta get going, but it was really
nice to meet you Naton. Feel free to come and visit the Weyr some
time."

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Naton said with a warm smile. "I will
definitely swing by sometime soon, so maybe we will run into each
other again. My best to your golden lady!"

"Thanks." Meledei grinned, then turned to trot up toward the Weyr
proper.

Last updated on the March 4th 2012

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