So it would be this way, then wouldn't it? She would be forced to remain and not visit her child while she watched her ... her life mate -- her soul partner and beautiful dragon Miacandarith -- grow up instead?
Sharmon nodded. "I'm sorry, sir. I went to Blackstone to visit my son. I ... suppose it will not happen again."
Though her words obviously affected the older man, he grimaced inside and nodded curtly. "That is correct. You'll be on scouring duty for the next sevenday. Get used to it."
"Yes sir..." Sharmon replied, and sighed.
But you love your little hatchling, don't you? When I am big enough I want to see him too.
"When you're big enough, my love, you will be able to take both of us to see him... But until then, they're going to have to come to us."
I do not see why they did not in the first place, Miacandarith mentally muttered.
"Mia... Mia, relax..." Sharmon sighed. "You're going to fly just like the rest of the class is, but you're going to wait your turn. I want you to fly too, but unless we're really ready..."
Sharmon snugged down the strap over her blue's shoulder, and decided that she'd done a better than adequate job of weaving the leathers. She also knew that in Blackstone, they had leather workers who did nothing but this job, and realized that even though riders were meant to do it themselves, that was one less worry they had.
A professional, master leather crafter, versus a rider whose entire life had been made up of scrubbing ledges clean of dung, sweeping fire heights of their residue, and mucking... Yup. She would be glad when they got the chance to have someone ELSE do that extra work.
Zarap and H'ex had been able to visit, but not as often as any of them liked. At the very least, H'ex's brown dragon Bireth really seemed to like blue Miacandarith. They would get along well. And this way, Sharmon laughingly reminded her husband the last time they met, if there was a green in Flight somewhere, their dragons could BOTH go after her, and they'd be able to console each other if they didn't win!
"I never thought we'd be leaving.." Sharmon muttered, "but I'm not going to miss the scouring duty!"
"I heard about it," H'ex laughed. Now, he took the lead with his brown dragon, and they loaded their small amount of posessions, and took to the air at last.
Zarap giggled with glee as they flew, and both mother and father -- as well as both their dragons -- knew that he would one day become a rider!
But for now, they settled back down on the Protectorate's isle. Then...
They left it forever.