Future, oh future, do you exist for dear Skyline?

[WhiteAngel28]

We shouldn't be in here Jorinth.

I'm sorry, Mine. I was just so cold up in the Weyr![/color]

No, more like you wanted to check up on Ariseth and then stay near her.

Is that so bad? I don't trust the youngster with checking up on our queen. He might aggitate her which would make her condition worse.[/color]

.... That's true. I don't think the gold needs to be more aggitated. Faranth knows her rider isn't helping.

The conversation paused as the heard an anguished squeal from the infermary. The huge bronze dragon stopped in his wallowing and hissed.

"Jorinth." his rider stated from his spot in the Stands, where he sat with his hands folded in front of his face and elbows resting on his thigh. "That's enough. You know that that was the queen's own fault for not letting the healers do their job." The bronze rumbled in protest, irritated that his queen was being treated so, and so close to Clutching! Would she survive? Would she lay the golden egg the Weyr so desperately needed? And if she did, did they have the right candidate for the egg so she didn't between on Hatching Day? So many questions! If the hatchling doesn't find her lifemate, the bronzerider just might order Jorinth to hold her down, even injure her wing if he must to keep her there until they find her a proper bondmate. She must live, because there is no doubt about it. Ariseth will between once her Clutch is laid, whether it's after they're ready to hatch or after the last egg leaves her body. Who knows. All he knows is that if there's a queen egg, when that egg hatches she will be the senior queen and the hope of the Weyr and whoever she Impresses, that girl will have the weight of the Weyr pressed down upon her shoulders as Senior Weyrwoman. He really hoped they didn't get an incompetant Weyrwoman, or one who thinks of no one but themselves. They'd still need her yes, but he'd really have to crack down on her.

The rider side and rubbed his forehead. Any day now and some of his questions would be answered. If Ariseth survives her Clutching, and if she lays a golden daughter. If she does between then he's assuming either Jorinth or the other bronze will take over being Clutchmother.

Don't be ridiculous. We'd go get a green.[/color]

"A green! Bah!" the rider snorted, "Woudl you rather the other bronze just take over right away!?" Again the elder growled.

No.[/color]

"Good, then the matter's settled. Now we just need to see if she survives." the oldtimer stated, slapping his thigh. The bronze snorted and decided to blend in with the Sands. The best buried his head in the sands, layed flat on his belly, buried his tail and thne his wings. After all his rolling, Sand had stuck to his hide allowing his bronzy sheen to be hidden. Jorinth was amazing. The rider just rolled his eyes.[/size]

[Bay]

Elsewhere, down on her hands and knees, a girl scrubbed furiously against the dirty floors beneath her. Back arched and hair falling in her face, the strands wet with soapy water and sweat, she toiled on and on, focus unbreaking. Erika was currently in the infirmary, slaving away in an unoccupied corner of the large room as an older woman loomed overhead. The drudge's gaze was hard and just as unwavering as the candidate's focus, foot tapping against the hard ground as she watched her current "helper" work. Erika could feel the woman's gaze on her back - and she nearly hated the feeling. Her wrists ached as she scrubbed harder, the floor looking no more cleaner than it had been moments ago. Finally, there was a sigh, and the woman spoke. "Enough, child. Go on now, chores are done." She put in a final scrub before heaving backwards, legs crossed underneath her rear as she looked over the area she'd been cleaning. It looked nice. That was all she had to say about it, and all she wanted to say about it. Honestly she didn't mind doing chores, especially when the infirmary needed to be kept as clean as possible anyway. But this... torture, was wretched; that woman had the personality of the most disciplined Weyrleader ever to grace Pern's surface. She'd rather still be a drudge back at Telgar Hold!

Standing, Erika grunted and shook out her skirt. No, that wasn't true. She was horribly proud of herself for making it this far, and if need be, she'd clean a hundred more floors like this one to stay at Skyline. As she turned to face the drudge she smiled, a little halfheartedly, and began to walk away. A pained roar shook the walls and the girl clasped her ears, passing the Queen an empathetic look before picking up her pace.

Once outside, Erika sighed and grabbed her bare arms with her hands. Despite the fact that spring was almost here, it was as cold as the heart of winter - even in some places inside the Weyr. Her jade eyes restlessly looked around. It was stupid for her to come here with only a sleeveless shirt on, but a jacket would have been miserable to work in. She stepped down the hall, still looking left and right. Oh! She spotted another entrance further down the corridor, smiling once she realized what it led to. The Hatching Cavern! She was sure it was nearly forbidden for her to enter the area, but if she stayed just long enough to get warm, she'd run straight to her room and get her coat. Nodding to herself Erika trudged on, intend on reaching the stands.

Soon enough she came to her destination. The girl found herself sitting on one of the lower rows of the stone seats, still rubbing her arms. Even though she wasn't standing on the sandy ground itself, there was enough warmth radiating from them to make her slowly get comfortable. Only after she started to fell her goosebumps go away did she glance around - and was she shocked. Sitting perhaps half a dozen rows above her was one of the only two bronzeriders at Skyline. Frozen in quick fear, she thought about her situation. Her reasons for being here were logical. So if he asked her... well, she'd simply tell him what was going on. The candidate's shoulders relaxed and she looked back over the rough walls, wondering if he'd even noticed. Even if he had, she wasn't scared of him. Where was his dragon, though?

[/blockquote]

[WhiteAngel28]

Jorinth hardly dared to breath buried in the sand as he was, but breath he did bute ven so softly. Only little puffs of Sand rising up as her breathed. The bronze froze as footsteps passed near him and up into the Stands.

Mine-[/color]

I see her. the rider replied, eyes on the girl. What was she doing anyway? She was cold? Why was she out here? Infermary duty he supposed. Now she noticed him, huh took her long enough. Oh well, he wasn't all the intrigued enough to talk to her.

I am.[/color] the bronze stated. The rider snorted, loud enough for the other to hear.

"Then go ahead! Talk to her you lazy wherry! I'm not your personal messenger!" The rider roared, throwing a hand in the air in exasperation.

How rude.[/color] the bronze stated, including the girl now as well. With that, he snorted sending sand everywhere and raised his head which so happened to be right in front of where the other was sitting. Sneezing, a stray flame appearing, Jorinth shook his head as his rider yelled at him, now on his feet.

"Jor- Where in the world did you find firestone!? No nevermind that! When did you eat it!"

I was hungry and it was around the herdbeasts. It's not might fault one was standing by the bag. So I ate the stone and the beast.[/b] the bronze stated smugly, whiplike tail rising from the Sands only to be slammed back down in amusement. Really, Jorinth was like a huge child, hardly aware of the affect he had on some people.

"Oh for the love of- Stop eating thing next to herbeasts will you!?" V'lor roared again, "And don't moving! You're probably scaring the poor girl!"

Me scare her? Please, you and all your yelling is probably the problem here.[/b][/color] the bronze replied amused, heaving himself to his feet to shake out his wings.

I suggest closing your eyes.[/b][/color] the bronze stated, then he lifted his wings whcih were weighted down by sand, reared up to let most of it fall and then shook them as he fell to the ground again, shaking the floor when he landed.

Much better.[/b] the brozne purred, laying back down and crossing his paws. The bronze folded his wings and regarded the girl after he asked, Mine, could you give me a bath later please?[/color]

"Fine, but only because I don't want sand tracked around my Weyr!" the rider growled, crossing his arms.[/size]

[Bay]

She hadn't really noticed the slight shifting of the sands below her - there was a slight breeze drifting in from the opening overhead, and she figured that the bits of rock were always moving and rustling around. The bronzerider, V'lor if she remembered correctly, payed no attention to her it seemed, and for that she was glad. Sitting alone on the sands wasn't so bad, especially since she was gradually getting warm. The candidate had just lowered her arms and was fiddling with the creases of her skirt when the older man burst out into hysterics, causing her to turn and stare at him through narrowed eyes. Was he mad?! And who was this wherry was going to talk to her? Or at least, she presumed whatever it was would talk to her, seeing how she was the only feminine thing around. As soon as the bronzerider's hand flailed into the air, she felt something brush her mind.

How rude.
Erika blinked. What on earth...? She glanced around. She didn't know the voice exactly, but it couldn't have been anything but a dragon. What else would speak directly into her thoughts? The there was a deep sort of shifting sound and huge draconian head rose from the sands, sand streaming from his face. For a moment Erika merely stared in awe at the sheer size of the bronze, but soon a smirk swept onto her features. Hiding in the sand eh? And from V'lor's tone, he and his dragon weren't exactly on the same level of maturity. Not right now anyway. She leaned back and crossed her arms, turning her body around so she could easily look at both the dragon and his rider.

The sneeze didn't startle her, really. However, she turned her head when a wave of heat blasted into the air, and the girl turned her head quick enough to see the last wisp of the reddish fire before it burned out. She could have laughed out loud, but for the man's sake, she did not. I was hungry and it was around the herdbeasts. It's not my fault one was standing by the bag. So I ate the stone and the beast.

[/i][/color] He was funny, this bronze. She managed to chuckle, even as the rider started fuming and rampaging where he stood. V'lor spoke as if the bronze had done this sort of thing more than once, and she wasn't really surprised. Erika had a feeling she would like this beast. The rider's words were somewhat drowned out by the loud mental voice of Jorinth, but she was paying more attention to the dragon than the man anyway.

Me scare her? Please, you and all your yelling is probably the problem here[/b][/i] and then I suggest closing your eyes.[/b][/i] entered her mind. After watching the bronze's tail smack the ground, she obeyed, covering her eyes tightly with both hands. She nearly fell out of her seat when he fell back onto the ground, but she "ahh"ed from the wave of warmth that shot up as he lurched from the sand. She was amused, even as she had to brush off her clothes. She listened for a moment more before speaking, winking playfully at Jorinth as he looked towards her.

"Oh, he's alright, really. I think he's bothering you more than me." Erika laughed a bit, still trying to sweep the sand from her clothes. "Does he give you... trouble often? And good luck with that bath" she added. She would have stopped there, or tried to make a little joke with Jorinth about how crabby V'lor was, but his last comment piqued her curiosity. His Weyr? The candidate arched a brow, looking back and forth between the two. "Your Weyr? I thought you and the other bronzerider, J'thir, shared the position?" She paused, wondering what sort of comment she'd receive. Had she struck a tender spot in his ego?

[/size][/blockquote]