Bumpy Ride

Writers: Caladria, Len
Date Posted: 13th April 2012

Characters: Ramzen, G'wen
Description: Ramzen gets a lift to a Hold in DFW territory.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern, Sunstone Seahold
Date: month 7, day 1 of Turn 6
Notes: Mentor Approved

Ramzen stood waiting - he'd turned up early, slightly nervous. He
didn't usually call upon dragonriders for a lift - they
were expensive, and ships or Bolt did him just as well - but he would
go and get a flit message from a holder friend from his beastcrafthall
days, and he couldn't take the time needed for a ship. He checked his
supplies again. Definitely hadn't forgotten anything.

The large green that was circling in the sky curved her wings and
settled before him, her rider raising an eyebrow at Ramzen's
nervousness. "She doesn't bite," he said, trying not to smile.

Ramzen eyed the green, though he did offer her a respectful nod. "Lad,
I'm happier with the things that bite," he said ruefully. "They're
_smaller_."

The green, Neath, snorted at that. The tiny rider's amusement spread
across his face. Sliding down, he walked up to Ramzen and
whispered, "she hears everything, so.."

"I'll watch my step, just in case she tips me off Between," Ramzen
whispered back. Not that he seemed to be taking the threat of that
seriously, with the grin he had.

His grin was infectious. G'wen found himself grinning back and
something odder for the young rider. He found himself comfortable
with a Holder for the first time! "So where are we taking you?" he
asked, still smiling.

Ramzen named one of the minor holds bound to Opal Cove. "Don't let
anyone be nice to you when you're young, lad," he advised. "Or they'll
add it all up and start handing you the cost in favours in your mid
thirties." Not that he minded a trip out of Sunstone every now and
again - or sounded like it, either. It was difficult to feel hard done
by when there was a skin of wine and old friends waiting for you.

"Ha! It more the opposite. I'm keeping tabs of who's been rotten to
me and making plans for a grand get-back when I'm older." He gave the
holder a teasing look and motioned for him to follow him up to Neath.
"Now girl, please lean down so we can get this man on his way." The
large green grumbled, not at all happy with all the transport work
they had done lately. G'wen gave Ramzen an apologetic smile and
whispered, "she won't dump you /between/, and if she does, we'll come
back and get you."

"And those that have been rotten to you get lifts to the icy wastes up
north, then?" Ramzen asked. "All accidentally, of course." He looked
at the green. "You might have to give me a few pointers on how to do
this." He was used to Bolt, and Bolt was a lot smaller than this. And
lacked wings. He'd _been_ on dragons, of course he had. Once or twice.
Half a decade ago.

At that G'wen looked a bit perplexed. "I've not been North yet,
but...good idea!" He gave the man a cheeky grin before stepping up to
Neath. "Okay, what we do is I'll get on up," and he scrambled onto
Neath's neck and shoulders, "and lean down to take your arm," and he
reached out and took Ramzen by the hand, "and you just step on her arm
and come on up behind me. And watch my hips, I'm really ticklish
there."

"I wasn't planning on going anywhere near your hips," Ramzen muttered,
as he concentrated on following the greenrider's instructions. It felt
wrong, stepping all over a dragon like they were a climbing frame or a
hill, but he supposed she was used to it. He settled behind G'wen
without much difficulty at all though - there was only so much
difference between sitting astride one beast and the next, he guessed.

The small rider twisted about and tucked the straps around Ramzen
before giving everything a strong tug. "You ready?" His face was
turned to see Ramzen's reaction.

"Yep." Ramzen nodded once, to back up his words. "Ready."

"Okay, remember I said that my hips were ticklish? Well, you_have_to
hold onto some part of me or you'll snap your neck or something of the
like, so hang on to my waist and don't worry, okay?" He gave Ramzen a
reassuring pat and held up his arms for him to wrap his own arms around
his waist. Under them, Neath grumbled a bit, the noise traveling up
their legs and rump.

Ramzen looped his arms around the rider, putting them as high as he
could get away with and still fit the definition of 'waist'. "Are you
_sure_ she's not planning on dropping me off /between/?" he asked,
suspicious.

"You'll be fine," G'wen had time to say just before Neath bunched her
haunches and leaped out across the water. In a few powerful flaps of
her wings, she had them over the ocean and used the warm air rising to
glide on, before circling gradually up, letting the thermals take
them higher into the sky.

G'wen only gripped Ramzen's arms once before all was the black of
/between/. He counted to three and they popped out over the cooler
Sea of Azov. Inwardly he was a bit annoyed that Neath hadn't given
him more warming so he could have reassured the passenger, but she was
irked at being used for transport duty.

A single time /between/ decades ago wasn't really a good preparation for
the experience. Nor was a single arm grip, so Ramzen couldn't help but
grip on tightly and count like the ballads. Reappearing above the Sea,
he let go of the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding for quite
so long, and shivered in the cooler air.

"Okay, unless you're planning on squeezing me in half, I suggest
loosening your grip." The tiny greenrider glanced back at his
passenger. "Please?"

"Sorry," Ramzen said, releasing his grip.

"It's okay." G'wen patted the man's arm once more. Just then Neath
turned tightly on her wingtip, angling the riders severely so that
they were more sideways then sitting up. "Opps! Sorry about that!" he
shouted as they straightened up once more.

Ramzen swore loudly, and grabbed at G'wen again, but instinctively
leaned with the dragon anyway. Seemed a lifetime of runner riding
really did help.

Thoroughly pleased with herself, Neath gently landed, and her rider
tried to free himself from his poor passenger. He wanted to say 'here
you are, safe and sound!' but figured it might not be appreciated,
particularly when they still had to come and take him back. "You
okay," he did ask gently.

"Better than I expected," Ramzen said, weakly. Truly, it was. Half way
through that flight he expected to either die of fright or falling.
Yet here he was, alive. He loved the ground. So much. Realising he was
still holding on, and that G'wen was trying to escape, he let go.

The young man took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of being freed.
Reaching around, he unbuckled Ramzen and helped him slid down. "When
do you want us back to take you home?"

"Day after tomorrow, hopefully," Ramzen said, with more than a hint of
resignation. He'd eschew the horror of a return trip if he could spare
the time at all.

"Don't sound so cheerful!" G'wen laughed.

}:He should be happy if we show up at all,:{ Neath grumbled before
opening her wings to take off.

"Okay, same spot, afternoon, day after tomorrow, see you then!" the
young greenrider shouted as Neath took flight and then, just as
quickly, winked out of sight.

Last updated on the April 15th 2012

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Bumpy Ride