Pinch me!

[Kitari]

((Okay folks, we're going to whip it waaaaaay back in time here to the night of the Hatching - promised me dear Shikai this thread))

Flashing colours, swirling skirts, lilting music interwoven with jovial cries. Smiling faces at every turn, congratulatory greetings passing by. Yet through the haze of heat and revelry, a single emerald gem, ever-present, ever-patient.

But it was all too much! Too overwhelming. Too fast! This party was for her, but it wasn't what she wanted. Not now.

A final glance downward, and the decision firmed. "Come," Brinne murmured, drifting her pale hand along the exquisite hide of her dragonet's head. The pair weaved through the crowd, until it no longer surrounded them. Heat was replaced by sudden cool, and the glaring lights succumbed to darkness with a pale glow.

Brinne and Elinth traced their way down to the Lake, so inviting during the day, now eerily silent and still. After standing for a moment, the Weyrling seated herself and pulled her dragonet close, her fingers slipping along the silvery ring that encircled Elinth's neck.

Were you not enjoying the party, mine? Elinth queried, returning her rider's fixated gaze.

"Yes, it was very nice...but I...I couldn't breathe," Brinne responded absently, now running her fingertips along the flare of grey-green between her dragonet's whirling eyes.

You couldn't breathe mine?! Why didn't you say? I could have gotten you out of there much more quickly than we went! Elinth's whirling eyes began to take on a yellow hue of alarm, and she butted her soft nose against her rider in concern.

"No, no, that's not what I meant," Brinne replied softly, smiling. "I meant...why, I hardly Impressed you, and I haven't even had a chance to stop and think about that. To think about you."

Ah, Elinth rejoined, as if that had explained everything. The querying look she gave her rider spoke of her remaining confusion, however, but Brinne merely grinned, absorbed in her thoughts.

[Shikai]

As the last remaining weyrfolk began to migrate from the tables to the dancing area, F’rallen sighed, pushing himself away from the table. Brinne was no longer in sight, and as he had forced himself to stop checking to see if she was leaving her place at the table with the other boy, he hadn’t seen where she had gone. To dance, most likely, Brinne probably liked dancing. He rose to his feet, and Dacrith looked quizzically up at him.

Are you going to dance, F’rallen-mine?[/color] He inquired, but the weyrling shook his head. No. I’m afraid I don’t feel well, Dacrith. Would you…would you like to go to the lake? He asked, a tinge of anxiety in his mental voice. Hm? If that is what you desire. Perhaps some fresh air would do you some good.[/color] The dragon replied as he walked beside his rider, eyes whirling slightly as the edges began to turn yellow. Noticing the change, F’rallen instantly felt guilty. Dacrith was so young; it was irresponsible of him to be behaving as he was. It wasn’t fair to the dragon; he ought to show his wonderful bronze proper appreciation for choosing him, of all people!

But F’rallen never had been any good at lying about his feelings. It didn’t take much observation to read him like a book. Yet he made an attempt for Dacrith, casting the dragon a reassuring, if feeble, smile. And you’ll like it, I think! I have so much to show you. There’s the lake, and the forest, of course, the weyr, the ocean, the lake’s island, I particularly like that… He said with the best enthusiasm he could muster, which was actually better than he had expected, as the topic turned to one he genuinely enjoyed. Dacrith listened politely, and although he didn’t quite understand what his rider was so passionate about, he appreciated the emotions behind it all the same. Plus, the discussion helped him to put his recent disappointment from his mind, and his spirits were at last beginning to lift.

“You’ll see in just a minute, we’re almost at the lake now, actually. Here we are, it’s right –”

Ah, I see! Yes, it does look rather nice…I suppose…mine? Is there something wrong? Mine?[/color] F’rallen had frozen, amber eyes wide and fixed upon a figure sitting on the shore, green dragonet beside her. Suddenly, he turned, as though to return to the weyr, but nearly tripped as he found his way purposely blocked by a bronze form.

Mine, whatever do you think you’re doing? Isn’t…isn’t that the girl from before? Elinth’s?[/color] The dragonet asked, as the realization dawned on him. “Y…yes. It’s Brinne. I didn’t…didn’t know she’d be here too…Let’s just go before they see us.” He muttered, trying to step around the dragon, but Dacrith lightly took hold of F’rallen’s pant leg in his teeth, tugging him back around toward the lake and butting him lightly forward. Don’t be silly! We’ve come all this way to see the lake, we are going to see it! You will get your fresh air, F’rallen-mine! You need to feel better.[/color] He said with determination that left no room for argument, and F’rallen could only sputter as he trudged down toward the water.

I don’t understand why you are so nervous. She is just a greenrider, a weyrling like yourself. But you don’t have to talk to her if you don’t want to.[/color] He commented as they approached the lake, and with it, the weyrling pair. Rank isn’t the issue here. F’rallen replied with a dejected sigh. His hand strayed of its own accord to the reassuring soft hide of his dragon’s neck as his eyes flitted between Brinne, the lake, Brinne again. He suddenly became aware of his heart pounding uncomfortably in his chest. Why was he so nervous? Wasn’t Brinne his friend? Of course, but…

Realizing that it would be impossible to walk around the lake with Dacrith and completely ignore his friend, he took a deep breath, and tentatively approached the girl. He stood awkwardly for a moment, hands fidgeting with Dacrith’s hide, his shirt, anything available.

“Hi…Brinne. Um…congratulations.”

[Kitari]

Absorbed in her thoughts as she was, Brinne failed to notice the tell-tale crunch of approaching footsteps. It was Elinth who broke with her rider's enraptured gaze, swiveling her long neck to stare into the darkness. Startled, Brinne turned to see what had caught her dragonet's attention, a momentary fear fluttering in her chest. A figure materialized out of the gloom, pausing while still in the shadows, but the girl didn't need to hear his greeting to know who it was.

Immediately, she lurched to her feet. His feeble greeting was brushed away impatiently, and Brinne strode forward, a mixture of relief and self-righteous indignation painted on her features. "Farallen! Where have you been?!" Although intended to be reprimanding, her tone held a higher pitch than usual. She was more than a little hurt at his failure to find her sooner.

"I would think that my friend of all people would have been waiting for me as soon as I left the Hatching Ground, not to mention at the Feast! Why, you need to meet Elinth, and I wanted..." But Farallen would never find out what Brinne had so desired, for her intense, green-eyed gaze had locked upon the bronzen shape beside the tall lad.

"FARALLEN!" she cried, a hand flying to her mouth. "Whose dragonet is that? How did the poor thing get out here? Why aren't you trying to find his rider? What's going on?!"

Um...mine?

"What, Elinth?" Brinne grated, eyeing the bronze dragonet as if Farallen had stolen him.

Dacrith's is here.

"Where?" The girl swiveled, trying to find the form of another in the darkness.

Elinth sounded truly perplexed now. How could her rider not see what was right in front of her? His is the one you are speaking with...

Brinne's lips parted, but she was silent. Dumbstruck. Aghast. How could she not have seen?

[Shikai]

F’rallen hadn’t been sure what reaction to expect from Brinne, but this was definitely not it. His eyes widened in surprise, and he shrank back as the girl as she approached, reprimanding him. She was…angry? But not angry that he had disturbed her, angry that he had not found her sooner! That baffled F’rallen; he had been certain she didn’t want to see him! Why else would she have gone to sit with the other bronzerider? He opened his mouth, but had neither the opportunity to speak nor the knowledge of what to say.

And then she noticed Dacrith. He looked at her in confusion as she fretfully demanded to know whose dragon he was, and what F’rallen was doing with him. Again, he was unsure what to say, and his eyes slipped down to the ground for a moment. He looked back up at her with a sheepish grin, although he wasn’t sure what to make of the expression on her face as she stared at him in shocked comprehension.

“Brinne…” He began at last, glancing down at his bronze before returning his eyes to her green ones. “I’d like you to meet Dacrith.” F’rallen’s hands moved nervously into his pockets, taking refuge there as his eyes moved nervously to the side, the ground, Dacrith, Brinne, the ground, and at last settled apprehensively on Brinne’s face. What did she think of him now? Was she angry, upset? Had he done something wrong? He made to say something else, but came up with nothing, and simply closed his mouth again.

Dacrith, meanwhile, dipped his head slightly in greeting to Brinne and Elinth, although his eyes returned immediately to his, whirling slowly yellow with worry.

[Kitari]

F'rallen's hesitant speech broke the girl out of her stupor, for she had been staring at him and Dacrith open-mouthed and wide-eyed ever since Elinth had cut off her rant with that startling realization. Now, Brinne visibly shook herself and closed her mouth, though her eyes remained fixed in their intense gaze. At the young man's mention of his dragonet's name, she quickly turned her attention fully on the bronze. A bronze dragonet. Paired with her friend F'rallen. Dacrith.

It was no wonder that Brinne was in such an agitated state. Ever since her arrival at the Weyr, she had done everything possible to enchant any dragorider or Weyrling with a bronze, including candidates who she deemed had the potential to Impress one. Bronzes meant power and status, after all. Since Impressing Elinth, however, she had been struggling with the realization that rank wasn't everything...and yet Fallen was an intriguing new bronzerider, to be sure. Then to find out that her good friend himself had just Impressed bronze...

She was at a loss.

But this was no good. She had to say something!

"It's...a pleasure to meet you, Dacrith," Brinne murmured, nodding meekly. "I apologize for...questioning your new rider, as I did."

And now for the far harder part...

You can do it, mine, came Elinth's reassuringly sweet tones.

"And...F'rallen..." The new name felt strange on her tongue. Losing that 'a' seemed very significant somehow. She forced her green eyes upward once more to find her friend's. "I'm so sorry for doubting you. If anyone deserves a dragonet, it's you." Brinne bit her lip for a moment, then stepped forward to embrace her friend. "I'm so happy for you!"

It lasted a moment longer than she had expected, her eyes closed and heart finally returning to a reasonable beat, and then she withdrew, face alight and gesturing behind her. "And this is Elinth!" The green stepped forward in response, her silvery collar sparkling in the pale light.

Greetings, Dacrith. A lovely evening, isn't it?

[Shikai]

Dacrith looked up at Brinne addressed him, although his only outward reaction to her words was a blink. It is not a problem,[/color] He said, although the message was spoken to F’rallen rather than the greenrider. It is pretty surprising. Me, with a dragon! I’m still having a hard time getting used to the idea, He replied to the bronze. His eyes slipped from Brinne again to rest on the dragon, and then moved to Elinth. They were both weyrlings now…it didn’t seem real. Didn’t seem possible.

But he was broken away from his musings before they could properly begin when Brinne spoke again. She had his attention at once, and his stomach churned anxiously as he waited to hear what she wanted to say. He had to fight not to shrink under her intense gaze, although at the same time he doubted he could tear his eyes away again if he wanted to.

Her words, as they finally came, took him aback. F’rallen was slightly confused. Doubting? He had never had the impression that Brinne had doubted him in anything. Well, no more than he had doubted himself. She had always been a good friend. His best, in fact. More surprising, however, though in a different way, were the words to follow. He smiled somewhat sheepishly, and a laugh of mixed nervousness and genuine gratitude escaped him. No one had said something like that to him before. Deserved a dragonet? Him? F’rallen had been branded ‘lucky to impress at all’ from the start, all those turns ago.

“…Thanks,” F’rallen answered softly. “I’m really happy for you too. I knew you’d impress…I’d be worried for this clutch if they were all too blind to see such an amazing person right in front of their noses!” He said, face breaking into a wide grin. Yet scarcely had these words left his mouth before he was caught completely and utterly off-guard. His face flushed as Brinne was suddenly closer than ever, her red hair brushing against his face as her arms were around him, embracing him. His heart raced in his chest as he stood, arms out awkwardly as he was frozen with shock for a moment, before he realized to return the embrace.

He was both relieved and saddened when she drew away, although he couldn’t even give names to his conflicting emotions; much less speculate what they meant. F’rallen tried to push them aside for thought later, attempting to clear his mind as to give an intelligible answer to whatever she said next.

“Elinth!” He repeated, testing the new word as he cast an appreciative eye over the dragonet. “And what a beautiful dragonet she is! You’re both lucky. Why, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a marking like that on a dragon before.” He remarked, eyes flicking to Brinne and back to the silvery collar-like marking on the young green.

Dacrith snorted slightly in his rider’s mind, finding the whole ordeal rather confusing and a bit ridiculous. It was causing F’rallen quite a bit of stress, and that’s what he was chiefly paying attention to. He eyed the green and her rider somewhat coolly, wondering if they should leave, to save his rider from this emotional turmoil. The dragonet’s eyes still whirled slowly with worry, and it was likely this preoccupation that was responsible for his response as the green chose a most unfortunate moment to address him.

Greetings, Elinth. I’d say it’s rather cold.[/color] The night surely was no colder than his tone, for though his words were polite enough, the abraisive curtness with which they were spoken indicated that he was in no way interested in conversing.

[Kitari]

Standing there, with her lovely Elinth beside her, her dearest friend and his Dacrith in front of her, Brinne couldn't hold back the broad smile that lit up her features. A genuine smile, for once, not the sweet, coy ones she flashed in flirtatious pursuits. And with F'rallen's proclamation that he'd never doubted she would Impress, it became a little bit too much. The world, already darkened by shadows, suddenly became a bit hazy. Surprised, Brinne realized there were tears in her eyes.

His faith only made her own doubt stand out in starker contrast. She had written F'rallen off completely, and he had always believed in her. She was a terrible friend, wasn't she? Not what F'rallen deserved in the slightest...

But he wasn't a candidate, was he, mine? Elinth inserted softly, nuzzling her rider. You couldn't have known Dacrith would find him.

It was true, and Brinne reached down to stroke Elinth's eye ridge in thanks. Besides, she thought, she'd had enough of regrets for this wonderful night. It would be selfish of her to tarnish it further with such dark thoughts.

His showering praise of Elinth served to soften Brinne's smile, as her gaze turned down to the lovely green. "Yes, I am very lucky. Very lucky she saw through, to me." It seemed the night was drawing out unexpected concessions, among other things.

Raising a hand quickly to wipe away the glimmering tears that had yet to fall, hoping her friend didn't notice, she then reached out to touch his arm. "I suppose I'll have to cut my hair, after all, won't I?" Her eyes and tone held the joke she hoped he'd catch instead of her discomfiture.

Watching F'rallen as intently as she was, Brinne failed to notice Elinth's slight stiffening at Dacrith's response to her inquiry. The green dragonet regarded her Clutchmate with slowly spinning eyes that hinted slightly towards an alarmed yellow. She was far more hurt than offended and too gentle in demeanour to respond with anything but politeness. Yes, the world is a bit colder than the Hatching Grounds. A lucky thing that good company can compensate for it. The slight coolness in her tone was the only hint of her barb.

[Shikai]

F’rallen couldn’t help but feel slightly embarrassed as he watched Brinne, for he knew she was more upset than she wanted to reveal to him even if he didn’t know what it was about. He looked down at Dacrith as she raised a hand to her eyes, pretending to study the young creature’s wings. Not that he wasn’t still fascinated with every aspect of the remarkable creature now bonded to him. He twitched involuntarily as she touched his arm, looking up in surprise at the contact. But F’rallen grinned at her joke, and shifted his weight to lean closer to the other weyrling.

“Guess you will! Some choose to keep it long, but…well, they’d better hope they get lucky and don’t find it full of thread one fall!” He shuddered slightly at the thought, made all the more unsettling when he thought of such a thing happening to Brinne. “I think shorter hair would look good on you!” He suddenly blurted out, half out of the panic that had set in that his friend would find her beautiful hair a threadnest, and partly in truth. Brinne would be beautiful no matter what length her hair was, right? And besides, maybe shorter hair would be…He halted this train of thought at once, face reddening slightly as he realized the implications of what he had said. Of course, he did feel that way, but he hadn’t wanted Brinne to know that.

“I-I mean…well I do…and I wouldn’t want to see you get in an…accident, you know.” He feebly attempted to save himself, looking down and shifting slightly as he chuckled nervously.

Had Dacrith been able to roll his eyes, he surely would have. He took a mental breath of sorts to begin telling F’rallen how perfectly ridiculous he was being, but turned in surprise as the green bespoke him again. Odd. He had thought his curt words would have dissuaded anyone from trying to carry out a conversation, although he thought he caught a bit of a double meaning to her words. Dacrith bit back a frustrated snort, doing fairly well to keep his composure as he turned back to the green with a slight air of impatience and resignation. His was in a state of turmoil! Dacrith knew he ought to be doing something. But he had no choice but to answer the green again, it seemed.

Cold indeed! If you ask me, we ought to be back in our own, private weyrs and beds. Surely such a place of peaceful and quiet rest would be preferable to all.[/color] The bite was still in the young bronze’s tone, and he turned back at once to F’rallen, eyes whirling slightly with worry as he impatiently tried to figure out what he had missed while talking to Elinth.

[Kitari]

It seemed that her attempted distraction had fared well, for F'rallen gave no outward reaction to her momentary discomfiture, instead leaning in with a smiling response to her quip about cutting her hair. She smiled in return at the imagery his words painted, how unamusing yet laughable to see a woman on dragonback with long hair streaming behind her, entangled with Thread. Yes, that certainly would not do.

At his second statement, however, Brinne looked thoughtful. She raised the hand that had brushed his arm, entwining her fingers in a strand of hair that was dangling along her shoulder. Although easy to joke about, it would be a big change for her. All her life she had devoted immeasurable amounts of time and energy to grooming the flaming red locks that drew so many eyes and achieved so many desires. In a way, her hair had defined her: its purpose had been solely as a tool to manipulate men, which was a consistent part of every day.

Now, she was a dragonrider. So much had changed...it seemed fitting that her hair change, too.

Brinne tried to imagine herself with short hair, picturing F'rallen's locks as her own, and nearly died at the image. "It will be...very different," she agreed, a pained smile on her face. She knew he was only being kind, insisting that short hair would be attractive. He was always kind like that, her F'rallen. Yet she wasn't as bothered by the prospect as she was when they'd first met. Hair seemed such a trivial issue, with Elinth standing beside her. It didn't matter how many men lusted after her; she'd find prestige of her own in this Weyr!

Okay...it did matter, a bit. She was Brinne, after all.

"Yes, thank you, F'rallen, you're very right. You're right quite often, come to think of it." She grinned now, flipping her hair with a small toss of her head, for what could be one of the last times. "And now we're Weyrlings! Both of us!" Brinne's smile widened, and her green eyes darted to drink in her green Elinth again.

Suddenly, she looked up at him again, her eyes sparkling slightly in the dim light. "I'm so glad you'll be here with me, through all of it." And leaning forward, Brinne embraced him once more. "But now," she added, pulling away with none of her earlier reluctance, "I have a young dragonet who really ought to get some rest."

Elinth tilted her head up at her rider, then turned back to Dacrith for one last response. It seems you'll have your wish, then. I hope you find the peace you so dearly seek. She was surprised at the calm in her own voice, for his words had hurt her very much. But she was a strong dragonet, and she lifted her head proudly, following her rider as they moved to depart.

[Shikai]

F’rallen watched with an expression of thinly veiled concern as Brinne wrapped a strand of vibrant, luxurious red hair around her finger, sensing she was bothered about it, but clueless as to what he could possibly say to help. Why it bothered her he couldn’t really understand, but F’rallen couldn’t stand seeing Brinne upset. He shifted his weight, folding his arms over his chest as his eyes flicked between Brinne and the ground. F’rallen couldn’t help but feel almost…frustrated with himself, and his inability to help his friend, or so it seemed to him.

His guilt deepened as he glanced up at her words to see her pained smile. “It won’t be that different! It will still be the same beautiful color…just less of it.” He said at once, wanting to say anything to make Brinne feel better. Not that he didn’t mean every word of it.

F’rallen grinned back as a much more cheerful, confident smile took over Brinne’s face. However, his expression turned to one of surprise at her next remark. He laughed aloud, half from amusement and half from embarrassment. Well, no one had ever said THAT to him before, that was for sure. “Me, right often?” He replied with a wide grin, and shook his head slightly as his eyes strayed away from his friend’s face, wandering to gaze at the lake. “I…sometimes I feel like I don’t understand much of anything, actually…” F’rallen added, tone carrying a reflective note that was certainly not often heard for the dragonhealer. No…after the hatching and subsequent events, he felt more confused than anything. Mostly due to the girl and bronze dragon standing beside him.

How long had he been ‘apprentice dragonhealer Farallen’? He had accepted his place. Accepted that he would never amount to anything more. It hadn’t been easy at first, but he had managed. He had been content. But now there was Brinne, and he was to be a bronzerider. One of the lords of the weyr? It hardly seemed the place for him. What would be expected of him now? He had never been a leader. F’rallen was going to have to redefine himself, and the thought scared him more than he liked to think about.

But at least Brinne would be there for him. He returned her grin as she remarked about their status as weyrlings, although he kept his reservations about his new position to himself. Now that the initial awe of impression was settling in, he couldn’t help but feel that he was a waste of a bronze, so badly needed by the weyr.

But that wasn’t important, and neither was his newfound confusion over Brinne, he thought, as the greenrider embraced him once more. She was happy, and they would go through weyrlinghood together, and that was enough for him. He nodded, eyes flicking to the bronze beside him.

“You’re right, we should get going. Our dragons must be tired. It’s…it’s been a really, really long day,” F’rallen replied, with a smile unintentionally tinged with weariness. “Good night, Brinne.”

Dacrith moved to follow his rider as they turned toward the weyrling barracks, but started at yet another touch of the green’s voice at his mind. The words struck him, despite the calm in her voice, or perhaps, in part, because of it. He looked back at the green’s retreating form, eyes whirling slowing in thought, and couldn’t help the feeling that he had made a much more grievous mistake than he had realized. Thank you, Elinth. I…I hope you have a pleasant night.[/color] He replied, tone somehow softer than the rather abrasive quality it had possessed earlier. He paused only briefly in the middle as he pondered the right words, and failed to come up with them. With nothing more to be said, the bronze followed his rider back to the weyrling barracks for the night.