Shalna looked up from her hidework. She enjoyed being a wingthird, but she could have lived without the hidework. In her small wing, "wingthird" really meant "official-hidework-completer". Today, she was filling out a report on the previous day's Fall. We did. You just didn't notice them.
They couldn't have been this bad, or I would have noticed them, Nachth told her. Where is Arzanth? Where'd they go this early?
Wingdrills, Shalna replied. P'sol likes to get them over with early in the day for some odd reason. One of these days he's going to have a rider fall off from exhaustion.
Nachth gave an irritated snort. When they get back, that bronze has some explaining to do. Why in Faranth's name did he invite us to a bug-infested weyr?
Stop making such a big deal of it, Nachth, Shalna chided. This hidework isn't any easier to do with you complaining. Besides, what have the bugs ever done to you? They keep Mavcha full.
As if on cue, Mavcha appeared and swooped down to pounce on a crawler at the edge of Nachth's couch. The crawler got away and skittered up the side of Nachth's wing. Nachth rose up slightly on her couch, flapping her wing wildly and roaring her discomfort.
Mavcha squawked as she was hit and shot up in time to catch the crawler as it went flying through the air. She swallowed the unfortunate creature whole and settled down on Shalna's desk, glaring at Nachth.
Well, that, for one thing, Nachth replied as she settled back onto her couch, still growling low in her throat. It didn't help that Mavcha got in the way.
She was just trying to eat it! Shalna protested. It wasn't her fault that it decided to run up on to you. It can't tell the difference between couch and dragon.
She was the one who chased it there! Nachth snarled, knowing that Shalna was right but in no mood to give up.
Don't be such a wher about it, Nachth, Shalna sighed. The crawler's gone and Mavcha's over here with me, where she won't chase any more bugs onto you.
That's where she should be! Nachth snapped.
Shalna raised an eyebrow at her dragon. Nachth could be stubborn sometimes, but she'd never been mean to Mavcha before. Something fluttered around in Shalna's stomach. Was Nachth finally rising. Don't take your proddiness out on us, Shalna chuckled. Yes, now that she thought about it, Nachth's cranky behavior did fit the description given to her during her weyrlinghood.
I will take my proddiness out on anyone I choose! Nachth snapped, not bothering to deny her condition, as many dragons did.
I'm going to go sign us up on the flightboard, Shalna said, putting down her hidework excitedly and changing into a nicer shirt.
Not here you're not, Nachth protested. I'm rising at Dark Moon and nowhere else.
But there are plenty of strong, handsome males, here at Quinalt, Shalna reminded the black. Plus P'sol and Arzanth are here...
Nachth snorted. If Arzanth wants to catch me, he'll come to Dark Moon.