"That doesn’t help. Nik I think you’re doing it wrong." Anyone passing by the weyrling hall at that moment would surely have thought that the occupant was going crazy. Mind you, with all the work weyrlings are forced to do, it’s a miracle they don’t all go crazy. Roza, however was just suggesting to her friend that tightening the corset was not the best plan of action. The fact that she was singing was completely normal to the other gypsy.
"Ugh." Nik groaned as he flopped back onto her bed. "I think you’ve gained some weight."
Roza glared at him. "Don’t you know anything about women. You never mention their weight." Her voice was still travelling up and down the scales. She had precious few moments to practice and she was not going to throw this one away. "I haven’t gained any weight you silly gypsy."
"Then how come the corset doesn’t fit you?" Nik wiped the sweat from his brow as he moved to try to fit the now goldrider, former gypsy into her costume again. "It used to fit you."
"Maybe it shrunk." Hearing her annunciate the word ‘shrunk’ in perfect singing form made her friend smirk, but he knew when to hold his tongue. Roza had seen the smirk however and pouted. "Am I really getting fatter?"
"I don’t know. I haven’t seen you in so long." Nik pulled the strings together and tied them quickly before Roza could exhale. "You seem to think that just because you have a new dragon you don’t have to talk to me any more."
"That’s not it. I’ve just been busy." She sighed as she looked in the mirror. She didn’t look much different than she had when she’d first met Nik, at least in her eyes she didn’t. She was still short, still had dark eyes and short dark hair and still looked like she could have wrestled a wher to the ground. People rarely expected the girl they saw to be a singer...she looked like a fighter.
You are a fighter now Roza, Miurath loved adding her opinion, even when it wasn’t asked for. We fight Thread, remember?
"I remember that we’re still weyrlings and that we’ve never fought Thread." Roza finally stopped singing. "And I don’t know why you’re so anxious to get up there."
Roza’s green flit, Lilium, chirped and flew to Nik’s shoulder. When they were together, Lilium acknowledged either of them as her master...and she was sort of right. Her egg had belonged to Nik, but the flit had impressed to Roza. She’d felt bad afterwards, when she finally discovered that the creature was meant to be his, but Nik said he was fine with it. Roza didn’t believe him. And that’s the entire reason I’m back in this god-forsaken corset.
I don’t think the god’s forsook the corset Roza, I think you have gained weight. The gold finally climbed from the dragoncouch where she’d been resting and walked over to the two humans. You’ve been feeling heavier...
And you’ve started teasing me more than Nik! Roza, wearing nothing but her undergarments, walked to her chest to get her performance outfit.
Nik, blushed mildly and pointedly stared at Miurath. The gold weyrling stood just a little bit taller that he did right now, but she wasn’t finished growing and Nik was. "So..um..y’sure Miurath can carry both of us?" He held out his hand for Lilium to jump to.
He’s actually blushing. I’m amazed. Miurath didn’t only tease Roza. He just spent the last candlemark getting you into the corset and now he’s blushing to see you in it? Men.
Roza smiled at Miurath’s comment and was glad that Nik couldn’t see her. She was still rifling through the chest. The performance costume was not something she wore on a day to day basis and therefore was buried somewhere near the bottom. He’s just stuck half-way between being Nik, my oldest friend, and a perfect gentleman.
Lilium made a funny noise and flew to Roza shoulder. She nipped at Roza’s ear, her tiny teeth drawing blood. The picture she sent Roza was very clear. It was one Roza had kept in her own mind for many, many turns.
One of my older friends. The smile faded from Roza’s face. The picture her flit had sent her had been one of Lilika and Amaryliss, her best friends, her siblings. But they’re dead.
"Roza?" Nik came over to her, wondering why Lilium had left him. He saw her sitting on the ground, still wearing nothing but a corset and her underwear, holding her bleeding ear and staring at the green flit who seemed to be glaring back at her. "Did Lil bite you?" Nik couldn’t believe the flit would be that violent. "Are you okay?" He walked over to her and knelt beside her. "Let me take a look at your ear." He pulled her fingers away from the cut. "It’s barely a scratch, you’ll be fine." He sat a moment in silence, obviously uncomfortable with the fact that she wasn’t answering. "I’m sure Lil didn’t mean it. She’s only a flit. She probably doesn’t even remember what you did to upset her." Another few seconds passed in silence. It felt like an eternity. "Roza?" He moved so that she was looking at him. "Give me some help here...I’m bad at holding one-sided conversations.
Roza bit her lip. She knew why Lilium had attacked her. Lilium...named for Lilika...her friend...who died...to save her. She sighed. She’d given the flit the name for that very reason, so she could never forget her first, oldest friend. Lilium took her job very seriously for some reason. I’m sorry...I didn’t mean it...I wasn’t tyring to...forget...
Miurath snorted and swatted at the flit with her tail. Why don’t you just forget Roza? You can’t keep beating yourself up for something that happened over five turns ago. You have a new life now, a better life. The gold couldn’t help adding a bit of arrogance to the speech. It must be a better life, I’m in it. Roza smiled faintly. Lilium only reacts that way because every time you try to admit that you can be happy without your old friends you feel bad and the flit picks up on that.
"Roza?" Nik was starting to get seriously worried. "Roza!" He waved his hand in front of her eyes. "Say something."
Miurath rolled her eyes, the emotion of the moment banished. Way to wreck my speech Casanova.
Roza smiled. "I’m fine." She couldn’t help noticing that while she conversed with Miurath, Nik had put his arms around her waist. He blushed and tried to remove them quickly. She put her own hands over his, keeping them exactly where they were. "Much better actually." She twisted her body so she could look right into his eyes. "Lilium just took offense to something I thought."
"Oh." Nik was amazingly aware of how close his friend was to him, physically. They’d always been close...like best friend close...since he’d ‘rescued’ her. He smirked remembering the night. Well maybe not always... He swallowed. This was something entirely different.
Men. Miurath snorted again. The gold returned to her dragoncouch.
One day you’re going to have many dragons chasing you Miurath...you’re going to have to get used to the idea that men are not the enemy. Roza was also beginning to notice how close Nik was to her. Two inches closer and we’d be kissing...
Miurath was moodily silent. She obviously didn’t approve of that thought. Lilium, oddly, seemed to think this was a good idea. The green flit flew to Miurath and curled up next to the dragon. Roza had the funny impression that she was giving them some privacy.
The two friends sat a moment like that, thoughts travelling the same path. What would it be like to kiss my best friend? It seemed like they were about to find out.
"Roza..." He whispered her name. They were so close that if he’d said it any louder he’d have felt like he was shouting it. As it was he still thought the word amazingly loud.
"Mmm?" She didn’t know if she could form a real word.
"We’re going to be late." Nik quickly got up and walked to the chair on the other side of the room. He was amazingly glad that none of Roza’s roommates had returned from the Gather yet. They’re ‘close encounter’ would remain a secret.
"Yeah." Roza sighed and saw the tip of her costume out of the corner of her eye. She got to her feet, dragging the material with her. She pulled it over her head and struggled with the laces down the back. But she was not going to ask Nik. Not after what had almost happened. She bit her lip in frustration as the lace seemed to slip though her fingers and disappear altogether. She heard Nik’s footsteps and next thing she knew the laces were being fastened together by someone who’d done them up more times that she had. She tensed as she felt his fingertips on her bare shoulders. "Nik..."
"Yeah." He was a lot closer than she’d expected. Miurath raised her head, saw them and quickly laid back down, closing her eyes.
Roza sighed. "We’re going to be late."
* * * That was strange. Nik sat on a chair in the hall, waiting, with a crowd of other people, for Roza to make her appearance. Why the girl continued to keep sneaking out of the Weyr to do these performances was beyond him, but he’d always helped her. She claimed that she needed to get out every now and then. Too much time indoors made her feel sick. Singing seemed to make her feel better. Singing and having his hands around her...Now stop that! He promptly ordered his mind off that track and down another. He started to focus on the Hold around him, but he couldn’t. He did see Miurath outside however and sighed. That dragon hates me. A completely new topic for him to brood about. He’d never figured out why, but since the day she’d hatched, Miurath had held a deep dislike, verging on hatred, of the gypsy. He couldn’t think of anything he’d ever done to offend her, but he guessed that it had something to do with the fact he was male. The gold didn’t seem to like members of the opposite sex.
Lilium chirped loudly, getting Nik’s attention and the glares of several of the other people around them. Nik clamped his hand over the green’s mouth and smiled, silently promising that when the routine started they wouldn’t hear a peep from the creature. "You," He smiled. "On the other hand, only hate me half of the time." He caught the gold’s eye again and she snorted. "I’m not sure which is better."
A bell chimed once and everyone’s attention turned to the stage where Roza stood. The vision of her, dressed like he was used to in gypsy garb, dragged his mind back to what had almost happened in her weyr.
That was strange. As she began singing, Nik ran the event over and over again in his mind. He didn’t know exactly what had happened or where all these confusing emotions were coming from and it was pissing him off. He’d never thought of Roza as anything but his friend before, why should she become more now? Where did that....attraction...come from? And why isn’t it leaving? Nik was enthralled as he watched her sing. He barely recognized the music as something he’d heard before, but if someone had asked him what song it was, he wouldn’t have recognized it. As he finally gave up on controlling his thoughts and just focussed on watching Roza, he didn’t notice Lilium begin humming...or Miurath glaring.
* * * Roza felt a lot better after her song. Singing always cleared her mind, mainly because she'd been taught that if she focussed on anything other than her voice when she was singing, Mother would kill her. She smiled remembering the last time she'd seen the old gypsy woman. It'd been only a few days after Miurath's hatching. She'd come to make sure that Roza was being treated well and that the rider hadn't been joking about the whole candidate thing.
I don't think she likes me very much. Miurath was nowhere to be seen, but she was never out of earshot.
Roza smiled as she leaned back against the wall, waiting for the Harper to come talk to her. Mother doesn't like anybody very much. That's the wonder about it, because after a while you start to like her, and she still doesn't seem to give a damn about you.
Then why do you like her? That doesn't make sense. Miurath was upset about something. Roza wanted to ask what, but she had the feeling that her gold wouldn't appreciate the prying.
Humans are funny creatures love. Roza shut her eyes for a moment and thought about how true that comment really was. Sometimes we do things we don't want to, but we think we have to…and sometimes we purposefully avoid doing things that we really want to do, because we're scared of what will happen if we do…and sometimes we're just plain crazy…never letting anyone know what we really feel, because they may not fell the same way… Roza sighed. I'm really not explaining this very well.
Miurath was slightly amused. You're right. You're not explaining this very well. Now I think you're all insane. Why do we dragons bond with you lunatics again?
Roza smiled. Because you need us, love…and I think we need you too…and not just for the Thread fighting abilities.
"Miss Roza?" The Harper was a little late, but Roza'd kept herself entertained so she wasn't really upset.
"Yes?" She shook his hand. He seemed like a nice enough old man. Mother was right about him. She normally is… "So how did you like the song?"
"Very nice." He smiled. "I thought you were joking when you said you had a song I've never heard before." He rubbed a hand over his head. His hair was grey…where it still remained. "I'm getting a little old, I've heard a lot in my time."
"Mother doesn't exactly get her songs from the traditional sources." Roza liked impressing people. "She has her own special vault…maybe I'll bring you another new one later." She hated this part of the job, but it was why she was here. "I'll just be taking my pay and going."
"Oh yes." He smiled, obviously less uncomfortable than her with the concept. "As soon as you give me the sheet music for that song, I'll give you the flit egg."
"What?" Roza felt her smile slipping. "That was never part of the deal. The agreement was that if I could sing you a song you'd never heard before, you'd give me the firelizard egg."
"Are you sure?" She couldn't believe how conniving such a sweet looking old man could be. "It wasn't in writing, and that's the new agreement."
"That's….that's…" Roza was fuming mad, but she couldn't think of any defence.
"Why would you keep the music from me?" The man shrugged. "I have a good memory, and we Harpers must share the knowledge."
Roza glared, realizing that she was going to be leaving here empty handed. "I'm not a Harper. I'm a gypsy. Sorry, no deal." She turned and stormed out of the hall and into the field where Miurath was waiting for her, accompanied by Nik and Lilium.
"You okay?" Nik could tell that something was upsetting her. Lilium sat on his shoulder, rubbing her head in his hair.
"Fine. Just peachy." She grit her teeth and pulled herself into the dragonsaddle. For a weyrling gold, Miurath was already a strong flier. They weren't supposed to be making trips by themselves yet, but Roza was really bad at following directions.
Nik raised a brow as Roza helped him on behind her. "Really? Could have fooled me."
"It's nothing." Roza sighed.
"Normally we don't throw temper-tantrums over nothing." Nik was amazingly aware of the fact that he had to put his arms tight around Roza's waist not to fall off.
She blushed slightly, and was thankful that it was dark and she was facing forwards. "Guy just nigged me on the deal. Of course I was an idiot and didn't get it in writing, so it's my own fault."
Nik knew that she was more upset than she let on. For some reason she'd been really looking forwards to this gig. "Want me to pummel him for you?"
Roza laughed. "Nah. It's okay. I just feel stupid."
"I'm sure I could kick some marks out of him." Nik squeezed her tighter as Miurath leapt off the ground. The gold dragon was being moody. She obviously didn't like Nik getting too close.
"It wasn't marks. It was…something else…" She blushed again, not wanting to tell him why she'd wanted the egg.
"What?" For him to be heard over the beating of Miurath's wings Nik had to lean over and yell in her ear.
"Promise not to laugh." She leaned back a little so he could hear her better. He nodded. "A flit egg."
"Trying to collect your own flight?"
"I owe you one." She turned redder than she'd ever been in her life.
Nik bit his lip, trying not to smile. "You do not."
"I do too. I always pay back my debts."
Nik rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm sure we can think of another way for you to pay off your debt."
That's it, he'd getting off now!!" They went between quickly and Miurath landed faster than she'd ever before. The gold reared and knocked Nik off before returning to the air and landing on her ledge. If he touches you again. I'm eating him. The gold moodily returned to her dragoncouch and refused to answer Roza.
* * * "What in the name of the Red Star did I say that for?" Nik bashed his head against the trunk of the nearest tree.
Lilium cocked her head and chirped. The green flit had decided to stay with Nik instead of returning to the weyr with the angry gold.
"I don't know either." Nik sighed and began walking back to the gypsy camp. "Sometimes I wonder why I'm single…then I remember…I'm an idiot."
Lilium chirped happily and nipped at his ear.
"You don't have to agree with me." Nik swatted the flit. "What are you doing hanging around here anyways?"
The flit did her best impression of a roaring dragon.
Nik smiled. "I don't like being around an angry Miurath either…and she's always angry when I'm around."
Lilium rubbed her head sympathetically against his.
"Thanks." He sighed. "You'd better be heading back, considering that gold won't let me anywhere near your master again."
* * * Roza sighed and glared back at the dragoncouch. "You're going to have to talk to me eventually."
No, I don't. The gold kept her eyes closed.
"You just talked to me."
No, I didn't. The gold tried not to sound like a sulking child, but it wasn't coming off very well.
Roza sighed. "Just answer one question. What was with the temper-tantrum?"
I did not through a temper-tantrum. The gold gave a soft bugle and turned over so she didn't have to look at her rider.
Roza sighed again, and realized she was really getting nowhere. "What do you have against Nik?" As she thought about her friend she wondered briefly where Lilium was.
He was touching you. The gold pouted.
"Maybe I like him touching me!" Roza couldn't believe she'd just said that.
Maybe I don't! Miurath stood up and glared at her rider.
"Why the hell not?" Roza felt like throwing something. She was raising her voice and she knew Mother would be mad, but she didn't care at the moment. "You're going to have to get used to the idea of the male population."
Miurath bugled, alerting the whole Weyr to the fact that they were having an argument. No I'm not! He won't have you! You're mine! I won't let you leave!
"What?" Roza's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Let me leave?"
Yes. I won't let you leave. The gold sat down and let her head hang, obviously embarrassed. The Watchdragon told me all about it. He told me that if you fell in love with a guy you'd be happier than if you just had me. He said you'd leave. Miurath's voice dropped about three decibels. I don't want you to leave.
Roza was stunned by her gold's comments. It was very uncharacteristic for the gold to admit that she was worried or upset about anything. This must really be bugging her.
Tonight, Roza's been marvelling at how grown up Miurath was, but right now she was proving that she was still a child in some ways. She was, after all, only a weyrling. Why do you need him anyways. Don't you love me?
Roza smiled. "Of course I love you. I love you with all of my heart, you know that. And I must pummel that Watchdragon. I could never leave you."
If you love me that much, how can you love him? The dragon laid back down on her dragoncouch. Roza walked over and sat beside her. Miurath put her head in Roza's lap.
"It's another one of those crazy things about humans. I can love you all of that much, and I can love Lilium all of that much, and I can love Nik all of that much." She blushed as she finally admitted to herself that she'd had a crush on her friend for a good long while. "It's not like I can run out of room in my heart. Especially since I love you two in different ways. And one day you'll fall for some bronze or brown and you'll love him, but that won't mean that you'll love me any less. You don't start with certain amount of love and then divide that up, you can always have more love in your heart."
Miurath closed her eyes as Roza stroke her eyeridges. She thought about the words, and begun to understand how silly she'd been acting. Especially towards Nik, who she really had nothing against, other than the fact that she'd thought Roza loved him more. As soon as she started to feel jealous, she remembered her riders promise. It's not like I can run out of love in my heart. Miurath smiled. That sounds like a song.
Roza laughed. "I think it is part of some old song I heard somewhere. I couldn't make something that good up by myself. Maybe I'll give that to that horrible Harper and get that blasted flit egg."
I don't think Nik wants a flit egg. He's already having enough problems with Lilium. The dragon removed her head from her rider's lap.
"Lilium?" Roza took a look around the room and realized the green flit hadn't come home with her. She'd figured that Lil had been hiding during the fight, like she normally did, but she hadn't come out to join in the reconciliation. "Nik still has her?"
Miurath smiled. Actually, she has him. The flit doesn't seem to think Nik should return to the gypsies. If dragon's could blush, Miurath would have. I guess she understands these things better than me.
"No, love." Roza began looking for her cloak, knowing she'd have to go out after her firelizard. "She just works on every single little emotion I give her. Like you said earlier tonight." Roza's hand brushed past the cut Lilium had given her.
There was moment of silence as Miurath thought how to phrase her next question. What are you going to tell Nik?
Roza felt her heartbeat quicken. "I don't know."
I'm not going to apologize.
"I figured that."
I don't think I hate him anymore.
Roza smiled as she opened the door to her weyr. It would be easier for her to take a runner, since the fact that she'd already gotten out and back in on Miurath once was mainly due to luck. "I figured that to."
* * *> Nik glared at the creature that was sitting on the ground not three feet in front of him. He wasn't sure what he was exactly supposed to do, considering he had to be home before sunrise and the flit wasn't letting him. I certainly hope that no one ever finds out about this. He sighed and took a step towards Lilium. The green hissed at him and snapped at his toes. Trapped by a flit. I will never live this down.
"Lilium!" Roza didn't speak very loudly, but in the silence of the night her voice carried well. "Come here."
The flit chirped happily and flew to Roza's shoulder.
Nik rolled his eyes. "Why didn't I just do that?"
"I'm really sorry." Roza approached him on foot, leading a runner. "I don't know what gets into her sometimes."
Nik offered her half a smile. "I guess she just didn't want us leaving on a bad note. We are really good friends after all."
"Yeah. Friends." Somehow talking about this with Miurath was a lot harder than talking about this with him. Probably because Miurath was empathetic and Nik was just giving her a funny look.
"Yeah." He misunderstood the comment. "Friends. I hope we’re still friends. I'm not sure what I did to piss Miurath off, but I'm sure that if I apologize…" He realized that he had no idea what would happen if he apologized.
"It wasn't something you did. It was something I did."
"Really?" He felt his palms going sweaty. "What was that?"
"I fell in love." She spoke the words so softly he could barely hear them. "With a friend."
Nik took two or three steps forward and reached out to take one of her hands in his. "Are you sure?" He wanted this very much, but he didn't want to force Roza into anything. "You'd be losing a friend."
"Really?" She couldn't restrain the sarcasm. "You'll turn into a complete monster and I'll hate you forever if I kiss you?"
He smiled. "Not exactly."
"Then I don't think I'm losing a friend, I think I'm gaining a new kind of friend."
"You know what I meant." Nik was getting closer to her. A few more inches and their bodies would be touching.
"I think it's worth the risk." She hummed a bar of familiar music under her breath. If you get the chance to sit it out or dance…
Nik grabbed both her wrist and spun her about once before kissing her. "I love dancing."
Continue... * * *
Roza impressed Miurath from Dark Moon Weyr.
Roza impressed Lilium from Dark Moon Weyr.
Background from Myrror Images.
