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"Unngh... g'way, lea' me 'lone. Wanna sleep..."
No! The huge gold shoved at the boy with her nose, knocking him from his sleeping furs. He groaned as his head thumped against the cold stone floor of the weyr. Maleka says you are to meet her in the kitchens immediately. Put on your riding leathers, and pack a small bag with enough clothing to last two or more days. You are going on a trip. From her perch on the dragon's eye ridges, Rhiva chirped agreement.
"Even you're against me, huh?" Ibanu scowled fiercely at his fire-lizard (who knew he didn't really mean it). "An' what sort of trip d'you mean, Seuth? I'm to stay and stand for your hatchlings, not go away to some place I've never even heard of. Maleka promised!"
There has been a change of plans.
"Where?" Even as he spoke, he was pulling his leathers on, hopping first on one foot and then the other as he tugged on the heavy pants and belted them at the waist. "Somewhere south?"
The queen dragon ignored his questions. He'd been lucky to have her speak to him at all; though he was the Weira's fosterling, it was still unusual for a dragon to talk to anyone besides her rider. Sighing, the lad picked up the travelsack his foster mother had given him only a sevenday before and started stuffing clothes into it. Hopefully he wouldn't need the Gather suit before he got a chance to press it...
COME! The dragon poked him again with her nose. She is beginning to get impatient. It has been precisely seventeen minutes since I woke you. Are you packed yet?
"Yes..."
Good. I will take you myself. It will save time. Before he had a chance to protest, Seuth ducked her head down and nipped the back of his wher-hide jacket. Holding it neatly between her teeth, she then stepped toward the mouth of the large weir, carrying Ibanu the same way a mother cat carries a kitten. The squeaking noises he made rather added to the overall impression.
"Seuth! Put me doooooown!"
I will not let you fall. Her tone was mildly rebuking. Maleka has said to hurry. And with that, the gold took another step forward and dropped off of the edge of the sunning ledge.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHH!"
"I'm going where?"
Maleka poured half of a jug of milk onto the boy's porridge, then liberally sprinkled sweetener across the top. "Eat up. You'll need your strength." She waited until he had started to eat before answering his question. "You heard me. You're going to Blue Mountain Aurie. The browns are waiting outside; you'll be going with another youngling from the Weir. You know Ponevi, don't you?"
"Blue Mountain? That's on the Southern Continent, right?" Somehow, though, he didn't think it was.
"Southern?" She looked at him with surprise. "It's... offworld."
I knew it! "But that's not even Pernseian! How will I Bond a bronze if they--" He clapped both hands over his mouth in embarassment. Oops.
"Every lad wants to Bond a bronze, Ibanu. There's nothing to be ashamed of." She grinned. "Even some girls... not that that ever happens, of course.
"The other colors are important, too, of course. Especially the queens." But bronzes are the best! Even better than slates. In his opinion, anyway.
"They have bronzes, boy. Be assured of that. Now, eat! I assume you have all of your things?"
He mumbled an affirmative through the mouthful of hot porridge.
"Good. T'gan's Rebeth knows where to go, but I had Seuth tell him and the other brown that they're just going to another Weir, not offworld. It's very important that you don't let slip anything about this not being a routine dropoff. If they thought they were moving between worlds, they might not be able to do it."
He nodded.
"Ponevi's already waiting... He got up on time. You'll be leaving as soon as you've finished eating." She turned to go, picking up leather riding gloves from where she'd tossed them onto the stone tabletop. "I've got to go now... there's a Queens' Council called. Goodbye... and good luck. I'm sure you'll Bond well!"