| One turn later� Raeniel glared down at the woman, trying to instill a sense of respect directed at herself. Corra helped, hissing fiercely from Raeniel�s shoulder. They were a sight to behold; Raeniel dressed in a beautifully fitting brown dressy tunic and pants to fit underneath it, her red hair whipping wildly about and her green eyes flashing. Corra was snuggled deep within the red masses of her mistress�s hair, and her eyes flashed as well, her voice adding to the imposing image. But the woman, who seemed unsure about what to think, hesitated for a moment, and smiled. She was used to dealing with these types. Spoiled most of them were, and stubborn. This one was no different, except she wasn�t as pretty as they usually were. Yes indeed, Ela did smile. Raeniel wanted to demand what was so funny; she meant to be taken seriously! But the queen rider kept smiling knowingly, and almost smugly Raeniel thought. How dare she laugh at me? Doesn�t she know I don�t have to be here? That I chose to come here? Of course she does. A light voice, one Raeniel immediately identified as Nikath, said firmly. Ever since that day Nikath had found a roaming Raeniel and Searched her, the green had been there to guide the redheaded girl through Weyr life. Raeniel wasn�t exactly grateful to the dragon, but she appreciated the fact the dragon spoke to her freely. It wasn�t likely she�d get chosen anyhow�not with her tendencies to leave responsibilities behind and move on from things, important things. Raeniel had left nearly two months ago, Vralon no longer able to hold her, and Raeniel had traveled on runnerback, easily finding shelter from Thread and managing to get enough marks to buy the necessities of life. Life on the go suited Raeniel well, and at last her body didn�t beg her to be moving, to be thinking, because she always was. It was as she was passing on the outskirts of the Weyr that a dragon and rider had suddenly appeared. Raeniel calmed the runner, knowing it was probably just a patrol pair, wondering who the travelers were, and why they were so close to the Weyr. Raeniel had encountered several of them before, and one ridiculous pair had even said she could stand Candidate for their clutch of dragon eggs! Raeniel had tried not to laugh. Her? As a rider? Nonsense. Corra had seemed amused by it too, and had warbled with good-natured amusement at the blue beast as he turned and left. So much for Dawn Sisters! Raeniel thought as that pair had disappeared, and now she stroked the runner�s nose as the new pair appeared. This dragon was green, and Raeniel was struck with some sort of affinity for this female beast. The green bugled a welcome, and almost immediately after Raeniel heard a dragon�s voice for the first time. It wasn�t long before this dragon proclaimed her Searched as well, and for a queen egg at that! Raeniel had refused, but the rider, Brenna, was insistant, and finally Raeniel agreed just to satisfy her curiosity for what the inside of a Weyr looked like. It was now, a sevenday later, that she was seeing the clutch of eggs for the first time. Their golden mother hovered protectively around them, and Raeniel remained a respectful distance from the glimmering gold egg that the queen protected to carefully. She felt a gentle, probing touch that felt maternal and angry and Raeniel guessed it was the queen. The touched vanished as quickly as it had been felt, and the queen rumbled, probably in uneasy acceptance. Corra snarled silently, obviously afraid of the big dragon, and Raeniel had laughed at her flit. But Ela, the queen�s rider, had come out to greet Raeniel, and the girl sensed something overbearing in this woman she did not like. Raeniel drew herself up, presenting herself as her own entity, and a strong one, before this dragonrider woman. And now the woman was laughing at her! Raeniel seethed quietly, wishing that she hadn�t chosen just that moment to see the eggs! Other girls passed by the hatching sands, watching the confrontation with curious glances. They knew Ela well enough to know this new Candidate would be a bother to the goldrider. They snickered, and one felt sorry for Raeniel, who obviously didn�t know the proper way of communicating with a goldrider. Ah well, she�d learn soon enough, and the other girls passed on. The sympathetic one a Candidate for the queen egg herself. It was finally Corra who broke the �silence�. The fire lizard stopped her hissing, and launched herself from Raeniel�s shoulders into the sky above, winking between. Raeniel got from her mind that she was going to swim, with the other flits, and not deal with this bothersome rider anymore. Raeniel wished she had wings to do the same. �Well girl? You�re here for the queen?� Ela�s voice showed slight apprehension, but Raeniel shrugged. �That�s what they tell me.� Raeniel grinned vehemently at the other woman, who seemed unfazed by the girl�s attempts at intimidation. �I see.� Ela said, and then cracked her neck, rolling her shoulders and giving off a feel of relaxation. Raeniel stiffened unintentionally. Relaxation pestered her mind until it drove her crazy. Tenseness ruled her life, and to the redheaded girl, seeing someone calm and relaxed was like a personal attack on her own sanity. Ela, noticing the change in the girl, became concerned. She raised questioning eyebrows at Raeniel, and reached out a hand tentatively. Raeniel sneered and drew sharply back. �I�m fine.� She snapped, showing her anxiety clearly. Ela got worried. This wasn�t good, especially for a queen Candidate. The girls should be comfortable at least, not jumpy like this one was. But then again, this Raeniel didn�t appear jumpy, just, restless. �I�m not so sure.� Ela told her, getting tired of playing games with the arrogant girl. If she didn�t like it here, she could just leave to go back wandering or whatever she had been doing when Brenna found her. Ela could have cared less what happened to Raeniel, except Ela was sensitive enough to notice something in Raeniel that begged to be touched. Something was stirring within the girl, that was begging to be let out. continue.... |