R'hiin and Deira

"Deira," Reihiin hissed as he snuck behind his friend, who was sneaking towards the small inner sanctum that Reikaee was meeting the Searchrider Aislinn from 'Draco's Inferno Weyr'. The woman and her black dragon had been there for just over two days and would soon be leaving again, with 'candidates' to 'bond' dragons at her 'Weyr'. It was all a bit confusing to Reihiin, who'd heard Reikaee and Searchrider Aislinn speaking about the topic when he'd been serving them. As a good server he knew not to go repeating what he heard to anyone and everyone, but Deira wasn't just anyone, she was his best friend. But in reflection, Reihiin supposed he should have known better. As soon as Deira had heard his story she had immidiately wanted to go spy on Reikaee and the Searchrider to try and learn more.

"Deira," Reihiin hissed once more, catching the collar of his friends shirt.

The half-husky looked over her shoulder, irritated, "What?"

"We shouldn't be doing this, we should be here, I shouldn't have even told you."

Deira rolled her eyes, exasperated, "No one said you had to come," she whispered, though it came out as more of a growl.

It was Reihiin's turn to roll his eyes, "Then who would keep you from getting yourself into real trouble?"

Deira's eyes laughed for her as she slipped around the courner and into the bushes, Reihinn folowing closely behind.

"So, if I understand what you've been saying, you wish to take some of my people back to your Weyr to bond dragons?"

Aislinn nodded, "Pretty much, yes."

"Alright then," Reikaee agreed, "Only on the condition that they come back after they bond the dragon, I need all the able-bodied people I can get."

"Oh?" questioned Aislinn.

"We're going to war and we're horribly unprepared," Reikaee said, placing his head in his hands. "Though, your visit does bring some ideas to my counsil..."

"Oh?" Aislinn repeated.

Reikaee smiled coyly, "Not that I'll be sharing them."

Aislinn smiled back, "Right then, Epochith'll pick out a couple of her favorite candidates tonight and we'll leave tomorrow morning."

"So soon?" Reikaee asked.

"We'll be back," Aislinn assured him.

"Did you hear that?" Deira hissed to Reihiin as the two of them crept out of the garden.

"I heard it," Reihiin whispered back.

Deira grinned ecstatically, "We have to get ourselves picked."

"What?" Reihiin exclaimed, barely checking his voice in time to avoid yelling.

"We have to get ourselves chosen for dragons."

"Why would they choose us?" Reihiin demanded, "We're only kitchen-helpers."

Deira rolled her eyes, then jumped in surprise as she ran into something, spinning around to look at it her eyes widened and her hand went to her chest as she saw the dragon that she had run into. Her mouth open and closed a few times, much like a fish, before after a few squeeks she turned and ran, after a moment Reihiin turned a followed. The dragon took two steps forward and caught Reihiin in its forearm. "Deira!" he called out, struggling fruitlessly against the grip of the dragon.

Deira stopped and turned to look at her friend, then she heard the sounds of Reikaee and the Searchrider coming and with an apologetic look at her friend she transformed into a husky and scampered away.

Reihiin struggled against the dragon for a few more moments before Aislinn and Reikaee came out of the garden and stood before the dragon, looking at him.

"Epochith?" Aislinn questioned. Here eyes unfocussed momentarily before she smiled, "Good thing you happened into him then," she told the dragon. Aislinn walked up close to Reihiin and told him, "Epochith's and I will be taking you home with us. I recognize you from dinner, so I trust I don't have to explain why." Aislinn paused and her eyes unfocussed again, "Epochith also wants to take your friend with us, where is she?"

Reihiin, confused by the sudden turn of events, merely regarded Aislinn. "Searchrider Aislinn asked you a question boy," Reikaee snapped.

Reihiin snapped back to reality and lowered his head in respect and shame, "I can take you to her bunk, that's where she's likely to go..." he murmured.

"Good," Aislinn said with a smile, "You can let him go now Epochith."

Deira crawled into her room and with a whimper flung herself onto her bed. The other girls she shared the dorm with looked over at her. "What's happened now?" a particularly cynical girl, Jixan, asked. The girl was half-cat and had long black hair and black eyes.

"Let her alone," Mihae ordered Jixan. Mihae was the nicest of the girls, Deira thought, she was an elf with vibrant red eyes and hair the colour of freshly sprouted grass.

Deira whimpered again and crawled under her blanket. Pyraa, the young nine year old girl who rounded out their small bunk crawled onto Deira's bed. The little girl pulled the blanket off her head and began to pet her. Deira's tail began to wag, despite her feverant attempts to stop it and she soon fell into sleep.

Reihiin lead Aislinn to Deira's bunk, Reikaee had to return to the palace to tend to other matters, so it was just Reihiin and the Searchrider. "Deira's bunk is just down this hall," he murmured to Aislinn, who nodded.

Reihiin stopped in front of Deira's door and took a deep breath, "Deira?" he called.

"What d'you want, Reihiin?" Jixan demanded, yanking open the door, "this is the girl's dormatory, we've covered your..." Jixan trailed off as she saw that Reihiin came with Aislinn. "I'm sorry ma'am," she murmured, though anyone could tell she wasn't. The black-haired girl turned into the small room, "Deira!" she shouted, though it was obvious it wasn't necessary in the small room.

A bundle of sheets and blankets on one bed jerked and tumbled to the floor. The bundle struggled slightly before Deira, as a mid-sized grey husky tumbled out. Seeing Reihiin and who he was with she froze, and got the 'deer-caught-in-headlights' look. "It's okay," Reihiin assured her, recognizing the panic in her eyes. "Searchrider Aislinn wants to take us back with her." Reihiin smiled slyly, "just like you wanted."

Deira changed back to her normal half-husky half-human form, "Really?" she asked, hope in her eyes as she stepped towards Reihiin and Aislinn.

"Really," Aislinn said with a smile.