You'll be in my heart. No matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart. Always...
Yes. His blue answered as he flamed suddenly, burning a clump of Thread from the air.
Another clump of Thread fell in front of them, between the blue and another dragon. A'jax signalled that he would go after it, but the brown-rider didn't notice him as he dived after it.
Ciqantath screeched as he pulled up, just missing the brown's flames. Both A'jax and Ciqantath were so busy avoiding the other dragon's flames that they never noticed the large clump of Thread until it was too late.
A'jax felt a sudden, burning pain in his shoulder, eating it's way to his chest. Ciqantath screeched as the Thread ate into his wings. Go between, Ciqantath! Now!
A'jax gasped at the sudden freezing cold of between. He barely had enought time to brush off the now dead and brittle Thread before he fell unconscious.
A'jax was taken to the healers immediately. They tried everything they could, but it didn't help.
Ciqantath knew the instant his rider died. He roared, trying to fly between, to A'jax, but his mangled and Threadbared wings could no longer support him.
His rider's words rang in his head. Don't go between, Ciqantath. Please...
Ciqantath creeled. He couldn't go between, anyway. He would respect his rider's wish. He had no choice.
The healers came, putting numbweed on his Threadbared wings. But numbweed only stopped physical pain. It could never heal the pain in his heart.
Over the next few sevendays, his wings healed slowly, allowing him to fly again. But Ciqantath still remembered A'jax's words, and spent his days moping about, thinking of his loss. Eventually, he decided A'jax would want him to be happy, so started looking for a new rider. But even the thought of re-Impressing made his heart sink. He knew no one could ever replace A'jax.
A few days after his wings healed completely, there was a visit from a searchrider of Abri, looking for any candiates they could spare. During one of his conversations with the searchrider's dragon, Silver-Blue Zalaeith, she mentioned the dragon-dragon pairs at Abri.
Ciqantath was amazed at this revelation. Dragons can Impress dragons? He asked.
She blinked. Of course. Doesn't it ever happen here?
Ciqantath stared at her. Very rarely is there an unbonded dragon here at all. There's never been a dragon that Impressed another dragon, though occasionally we will re-Impress another human...
She rumbled amusedly. Then why don't you come back to Abri Weyr with us? That's what we're here for, candidates for Dwyth's clutch. Nobody ever said they had to be human.
Ciqantath paused, considering her offer. It wouldn't be the same as A'jax, but maybe that was a good thing. He wouldn't feel as if he had betrayed his rider. And he wouldn't have to worry about death. Dragons aged with their bonds, so there would hardly be a need.
If he didn't Impress...
Well, he had tried then. That was all he could do. He couldn't live alone much longer, he'd die of heartbreak. If he didn't Impress, he would go between. At least then he'd be with A'jax.
His eyes swirled as he made his decision. All right then, I'll go with you, to Abri.
Good luck. Was all she said, as she flew off to tell her rider.