They returned to Blackstone and slunk around for a while, wandering through the mazelike corridors.
Then, they heard a song being sung and headed over to where a small gathering of people were singing and laughing.
M'cel joined in, never one to stop a party in progress! Loudly he drank and sang and drank more and laughed, drank even more, and soon became quite solid friends with all the riders who had gathered.
"I didn't think riders knew how to sing so well!" He exclaimed with a kind of slosh. "How is that?"
"We're Harpers, silly," a dark skinned man named R'daavi said. "And so are you, by your badge. Would you join us?"
The others looked at M'cel and nodded. "Yes, you'd be welcome. Your dragon announced himself earlier and explained that you and he were looking for the right Wing. We're all harpers here," the man speaking stood up and waved his hands. "What do you think?"
M'cel didn't have to think. Nor could he, for all the wine in his stomach.
He laughed, and belched, and raised his hand in a rider's salute.
"I'm IN! Weeeehhhoooo!" He hollared, and then passed out cold.
It certainly is a pretty weyr, it looks shiny. May we go see more of it? Lakenth asked of M'cel. His rider nodded, and they descended.
Into the weyrbowl they went, Lakenth announced their arrival with a happy trumpet.
There is... a green down there... He bespoke with a sort of awe in his mind.
"There are lots of greens, Lake, what about her?"
This one is rising.
"WHAT?!" M'cel yelled over the wind, as Lakenth took to higher skies instead of grounding them. "No, get your blue butt back down there! I can't be with you on a flight! Lakenth!"
I am sorry M'cel, but she is beautiful! Look at her! How strong she looks! She must have already blooded her kills... There was a hint of sadness in his tone, so M'cel agreed that they would announce their intent to chase the green.
"When you put me down! I have to talk to the weyrleaders!" 'Not to mention get off your back before you kill me flying a mating flight!' he added mentally without telling Lakenth.
They landed, M'cel dropped from the blue's shoulder, and almost immediately Lakenth rose back into the air! He was as ready as he'd ever been to chase, and this beautiful Satineth was the most perfect chance he'd ever get!
"Wasn't me," M'cel beamed, "Lakenth did it all by himself... Hey!" He said, realizing that the joke was on him if he put it that way!
Satineth's rider, a graceful young girl named Mystika, came up to M'cel and grinned widely.
A'rd wisely left them to their business.
***
"You know I can't stay here for very long," M'cel said to Mystika. "But I think I can get a leave from the Wing until the eggs hatch..."
"I suppose that will have to do," Mystika said, perhaps a little sad that he wasn't just ready to settle down. But that was weyr life, wasn't it?
"They were fabulous," M'cel said, complimenting Mystika's dragon as well as his own. "And I'm sure that the clutch will be good!"
"I know it will," Mystika grinned.
***Two Months Later...***
M'cel looked like the proudest father on Pern!
"Look at them all!" He said, bouncing slightly. "It's amazing!"
Satineth laid 14 eggs! Fourteen! He could hardly believe it.
Neither can I my friend, neither can I! Lakenth bespoke. I told you Satineth was a strong, beautiful green! Now she has proven it!
It was half you, M'cel bespoke, but when he looked at Mystika he smiled again.
"It'll be a while before the eggs hatch," she said, quietly. "But I've begun the search for candidates. Perhaps you could ask your friend A'rd to do a search?"
"Well, he is a search rider!" M'cel said. He then told Lakenth to bespeak A'rd's dragon Trelerth. Send some candidates this way, Trel.
You know I will do that, my clutch brother! Trel bespoke back, and congratulations are in order, you did well!
Both dragon and rider just stood there smiling on the sands like idiots.