A'cen and bronze Marnath
Adult
I need more firestone A’cen! Marnath cried out as he craned his neck around and opened his mouth.
A’cen leaned forward and put a large, double handful of firestone into his bronze’s mouth. He ducked quickly as a strand of loose Thread drifted by his head and turned to watch it’s descent. “You want to get that one?” A’cen asked his dragon.
Marnath shok his head slightly and said, “No one of the dragons closer to the ground will get it, and if they don’t the ground crew will. Alioquith says we are to concentrate up here on the highest level.
“What does a off-Pern dragon know about fighting Thread?” A’cen asked as he readjusted his position in the saddle. “I would think that a dragon from Pern, like us, should become the wing leader.”
You are forgetting that I am not from Pern either A’cen. If your feelings hold true for us as well then we should not be wing seconds either. As for Alioquith, I trust his judgement and I would follow his orders.
“We’re different though Marnath, We’ve at least been on Pern since we were weyrlings. Alioquith and P’tan came almost two months ago,” A’cen complained.
It is whoever is most suited for the job A’cen. Now pay attention and give me some more firestone, the bronze said irritably.
A’cen gave his dragon the firestone he asked for and then looked above him, where the Thread seemed to be thinning out. “I think we’re almost done,” he commented as he directed his dragon to fly above a large clump of Thread.
We are never almost done A’cen, Marnath said as he opened his mouth and let the flame spurt out, charring the clump of Thread. It may look like it’s thinning out but Alioquith says that it’s still coming out of the west. We still have a good three hours or so to go.
A’cen sighed and asked, “I can’t wait until this Fall is over. All I want to do is relax in the weyr and do absolutely nothing for the rest of the day.”
Would you pay attention!? Marnath asked angrily. I am not like Alioquith, who may breathe fire without firestone. I need you, my rider, to hand it to me. I’m worthless up here without firestone rider-mine!
A’cen cringed and handed his hot-tempered bronze some firestone. He then sat back in the saddle and looked around for the next clump of Thread that needed to be destroyed.
Four hours later the Fall ended and Marnath started to spiral down towards the Weyr. That didn’t go as bad as it could have, Marnath commented as he landed my the lake and waited for his rider to dismount.
A’cen untied the firestone bags, which were now empty and the slid down from his dragon’s neck. He was about to say something to his dragon but he had already waded into the clear water of the lake. He sighed and took his shirt off, following his dragon into the cool water.
“I’m sorry about up there earlier,” A’cen said as he swam towards his bronze.
Marnath drank some of the lake water and then looked back at his rider. We were lucky a clump of Thread didn’t come our way rider-mine. Please don’t let that happen again.
A’cen swam back towards the bank and sat down in the water where it was shallow enough to do so. “Yes I suppose I was a bit out of it wasn’t I?” He commented as he rinsed his face off.
A bit, Marnath said, as he swam towards a group of females.
A’cen smiled, knowing that his dragon was beginning to cool off. “You hang out here Marn. I’m going to go up to the weyr and lie down alright?”
His bronze looked back at him and said, Yes that’s fine. I probably won’t be long. I’m just going to relax down here for a little bit longer. Oh, and don’t worry about today rider-mine. I am no longer angry about it.
A’cen watched as his dragon swam out towards the group of females and then got up and headed back to their weyr.
