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Candidate at Falas Weyr
Her blood ran cold with what she read. What she *thought* she read. It couldn't be true.
The Protectorate took itself off the planet? Only a few years after Caitlin's time?
Leaving her, exactly where? If she were to impress, what would happen? Would she be forced to stay at Falas -- which admittedly was a very very fine establishment and they could always use another rider like any weyr -- or would she return to Dawnlight, Blackstone actually, and simply ride off into...
"Where? Where did they go?" She breathed. It took her the better part of the day to locate any written material on the subject but Caitlin spotted a picture -- an actual photograph -- of a group of very odd looking people. Some of them were cats. One was very tall and blue and handsome --
"That's Shard? The protectorate leader?" She whispered to the air. "Oh my."
"Yes, oh my," echoed E'tan, causing Caitlin to jump out of her skin. "The place didn't need us any more."
"So this has all happened to you, already?" Caitlin asked, trying to place things in her own mind. E'tan nodded.
"But common belief says that I am not to be trusted about anything regarding the future or past..." He added a moment later, with a sad, kind of hollow smile.
"E'tan, I will remain here, and Impress if I can." She said.
She nodded. "I know. I'm already working in the Records room here at Falas. It's a nicely run place."
"They need you."
"But I need my family. And things that are familiar to me. Even you. And you can't be bothered to come here all that often, now can you?" She chided him, and E'tan had to remind himself that he was well over eight hundred years old and she was not even into her second score of years... He smirked.
"You know your home," he said, "you must memorize it. Carefully. If you wish, I can take you to a place above, which will allow you to memorize the stars and patterns of coastline which are distinct to your time and place."
She glanced at him, back at the papers, and then more eagerly back to the man. "You mean ride Utainth?" She said with a bright glaze on her eyes.
"Yes." The dragon outside bellowed cheerfully, and loud enough to be heard within.
"Then let's go!" She said, "but let me put these things away first. I don't want them all to rot in the air."
E'tan looked at her with a carefully guarded eye. Attractive, brilliant and attentive. It was too bad he'd committed himself to other ... people, in the meantime. He was certain her mental abilities would aid his 'cause' but -- would she?
When she was finished with the papers, storing them all back the way they had been arranged, she followed the thin man down outside, to the beach again where the sun was starting to angle into afternoon. E'tan put his riding jacket over Caitlin's shoulders, and said, "snug that on, you're about the same size as me."
"Shorter," she laughed, the jacket was to her thighs and the sleeves covered her hands entirely. But it was fur lined, and nicely cut. "What will you wear?"
"I don't need that any more," he said, and helped her onto the narrow back of the dragon. Utainth was a strange looking dragon. She wondered where he was impressed, but Caitlin said nothing that would offend. E'tan gave her instructions about going between times, and she vividly remembered the chill of heading to the future of Falas weyr.
When they arrived back to her own time and place, it was warmer, but night time. "Look to the skies," E'tan said, then added the same thing mentally if she hadn't caught the words as they were ripped from his mouth in the wind above the lands. Up in the dark velvet of night, there were the moons, and the Red Star, smaller than she thought she remembered it. The stars around each were bright, and E'tan showed her the Dawn Sisters -- and as he did so he asked Utainth to sweep around over the Hold below.
Dawnlight was an echo of those three static-stars, with three points brightly glimmering in the evening. Caitlin could recite just exactly where those points were on the city scape, and then looked back to the sky.
"I understand," she said. She put it into her memory that this time, and this place, were where she was to return some day. When -- not if -- she bonded at Falas.
That way, she could go with the rest of the protectorate as they left this world and went into another.
***
The trip back to Falas was less chilled, but longer. Caitlin thanked her strange and wonderful benefactor for the ride and the deep knowledge of the past -- her own future -- and snagged his elbow as he was going to leave. She planted a warm kiss on his high cheek, and actually got quite a smile and half a blush from him. Weren't brown riders more outgoing than him?
Well, she'd learn eventually which riders would be best to charm and which would be left alone. And, of course, which holders, craft masters and the like to do the same. For Caitlin was in her element anywhere -- and any time -- she found herself.
She bumped up to Caitlin and stared deeply into her eyes. The shining golden orbs fluttered through many colors before deciding on a teal-green. You are mine, I am Flaviath!
"Oh!" Caitlin laughed, startled. In her mind, though, she called out with a pleased I hope you don't mind that I missed you coming to me...
I think I can forgive you! Feed me!
"Flav! No, I can't do that. We need that to fly!"
You need it, I do not! The green swept her wing around her face, an expression of ire on her muzzle.
"But I can't just hang on," Caitlin said, "... It does look like that harness is rubbing you in the wrong spot, though. I'm going to see the leather smith about making you a new one that fits right. Okay?"
If that is the best compromise we can reach, I suppose...
He knew already, of course, because the records room updated itself almost magically, but that was one trip that Caitlin wanted to make. It was no mistake that she had to home in on his brown dragon instead of the man himself - the dragon knew better ways of getting others to his side.
It is nice to see you again, the dragon bespoke and Caitlin heard him clearly, though filtered through her own dragon's mind. Utainth looked well, and Caitlin urged Flaviath to tell him so.
You flatter me.
I flatter you too, Flaviath bespoke, and while Caitlin was searching around the odd dark halls of E'tan's private non-worldly home, she suddenly realized that ...
"Caitlin," E'tan said, boldly and clearly disturbed by the sudden intrusion, "you've brought a flirtatious green to my home?"
"I didn't mean to," Caitlin responded, and then smiled widely. Perhaps she did mean to at that...
