A Dip and some Disgruntlement

[Kitari]

"Are you sure?" Brinne inquired petulantly, hands on hips, as she watched her sleek green ease into the waters of the pool below the waterfall. Her lip twitched slightly as Elinth submerged herself up to her chin, giving a small shudder at the thought of that chill water. That was one thing she hadn't bargained for when she made the decision to venture to the Northern Continent: the dramatic change in temperature. Araelen Weyr had been balmy, a volcanic mountain rising out of a tropical jungle surrounded on all sides by a sparkling ocean. Ikros Weyr was....well...uncomfortable.

It's not so bad! Elinth called, gliding around under the water and snorting with delight as she came underneath the gentle pounding of the waterfall.

Brinne huffed, turning her chin up to stare bleakly at the tall cliff walls that framed the pale blue sky. Her weyr was rough-hewn, a primitive dwelling at best. It was cramped, with a barely sufficient dragon-couch for Elinth and not even a private room for her own bed. There was nothing to block the wind that whistled down the canyon, and cold seemed to emanate from the stone itself. No pile of furs was able to keep her warm! And then there was this poor excuse for a bathing pool for the dragons; the water was frigid, even now with summer in the air! Honestly, there was nothing appealing about this Weyr at all.

Oh mine, Elinth chided gently. I do not mind the cold of the water, and it will be very nice when the day is hot and I want to cool off. The dragon paused, eyes whirling as she slowly raised her head out of the water. Or is it that you will need to scrub me soon that is bothering you so? she asked slyly. She knew her rider all too well.

Brinne couldn't help it, breaking into a small if affectionate smile. "You've got me," she agreed, bending down to roll up her pant legs. Of course she cared about her dragon's comfort, but well...a person could only stand so much.

Oh, you don't need to quite yet, Elinth cut in. I think I'm going to swim a bit more!

Brinne didn't bother to hide her relief as she settled down on the edge of the pool instead of wading in. Her blue flitt, Duke, soared in to perch on her shoulder. He took one look at the water and then hissed in disdain, content to sit with his in the relative warmth of the open air. Damsel was not nearly so uptight, sniffing at the water's edge curiously. She agreed with Duke and Brinne on one thing, though; she wasn't ready to plunge in quite yet either!

[Felina]

It was hard to believe that winter was finally loosing its death grip on the Northern continent. Only a few sevendays gone, Felina had been convinced the frigid weather would be a constant source of difficulty, but sure as the morning spring had come. Not a true Southern spring, with its explosions of verdant growth so quick you could blink and miss the flowers sprouting, but still an improvement. Each time she and Breunth flew out on patrol sweeps, the snows had receded a little further, and now they were gone entirely. Mountainsides turned a pale green, with delicate spots of colored flowers here and there.

This odd spring, when it seemed like time to be summer, was well and truly driving the cold back, and that meant it was the perfect time to bathe. The air was warm, and the sun was out; the weather wouldn't get any better for some time, she was sure. Breunth had gone ahead of her, and she could see him hesitate by the edge of the water as she trotted towards him. Something wrong?

There is another here. We should come back later, I do not think I want to go for a swim right now, he sent, uncertainty tinting his mental voice. Uncertainty and uneasiness.

Forcing false joviality into her voice, she ran the last few yards to her dragon, silly insecure beast that he was. Hah! If we come back later, I'd have to carry you off the ledge, and it's been a couple of Turns since you were small enough to do that with. Besides, it was a shame to see that pretty hide of his dirty, and though he'd long reached his full growth, she still worried about cracks on his hide in this cold, dry weather. Always better to be safe. Felina briefly glanced up at the sky, bright and eerily empty of clouds. Where were the rains?

She didn't know the Rider there, and the Green paddling around the lake was equally unfamiliar. This was not one of her favorite situations to be put into, but she would have to make the best of it. "Hi, um, you mind if I sit over here?" she asked, moving to stand beside her as Breunth finally waded into the water. "I'm Felina."

For his part, the brown just tried his hardest to go unnoticed, keeping only the top of his head above the surface of the water.

[Kitari]

There was a bit of a chill in the air, as Brinne perched on the edge of the pool, so she crossed her arms to better hold in the warmth. A fine mist rose from the waterfall where it plunged into the surface of the water, dampening her hair and face as she gazed out at her green's playful antics. Yes, Ikros Weyr was not a warm place. As her dragon had claimed, however, the girl could understand why this pool might be found appealing on a warmer day.

Lost in her thoughts as she was, the red-haired girl failed to notice the approach of not only another girl but also her towering brown dragon. Not until Duke chirped a warning in her ear and burrowed into her neck did the girl glance around, and she gave a small twitch of surprise at the sight of them. It wasn't completely incomprehensible that that the pair had been able to sneak up on her, however, once she considered the dragon. He seemed to be hanging back with an unusual hesitation, almost shyness, though she hardly thought such a trait could be attributed to a dragon of his size.

As the rider approached first, while the brown continued to hang back, Brinne looked up into a face she instantly recognized and yet was not familiar with. The girl had been a brownrider before Brinne had ever Impressed, yet she had never spoken with the other. Those scars, though…those were scars one never forgot. Thus, even without knowing anything else about her, the name 'Felina' popped into her head. So the dragon must be…

Breunth, Elinth replied cheerily, doing a twist in the water before surfacing to greet the brown herself. Greetings, Breunth. How fare you and your rider, this lovely day? She wasn't a flirty green, by any means, but Elinth had a quiet way about her that could soothe even the most anxious dragon.

A little embarrassed that her dragon was more polite than she in greeting the newcomers first, Brinne quickly nodded and smiled to the other girl. "Yes, of course, sit wherever you please. I don't mind." Elinth gave her a little nudge, and the greenrider flushed slightly. "I mean, I would enjoy your company, if you would like to join me. I'm Brinne." This pronouncement was followed by on of her most radiant smiles, as she patted the stone beside her. Although Duke gave a short hiss at having his peace disturbed, she flicked him lightly to quiet him down.