R'tar

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Talor Cliff Weyr

Rhitar and Shari were feeding Klahi in the kitchens when Nora came rushing in, yelling that the Hatching was starting and all candidates should get down to the Sands immediately.

The twins leaped as one for the door, almost tripping eachother as they pushed through the doors into the Candidates Barracks. Shari finished changing first, hurtling out to the Hatching Grounds like a human arrow. Rhitar was close on her heels, smoothing down his rumpled coppery hair. He grinned as Shari asked him in an exasperated voice why he was doing that, and didn't answer.

Rhitar watched eagerly as two eggs hatched, spilling out a brown and a blue. He gave the blue a cursory glance, the brown a hopeful one, but both ignored him. Well, he wasn't meant to be a bluerider anyway.

Five more eggs cracked then, including the one he'd been concentrating on in the egg-touchings, revealing a bronze, a blue and three greens. Rhitar knew with an uncanny certainty that the bronze was his, and only his. He could just feel it.

He was right. The bronze shoved through his smaller clutchmates, making confident progress to Rhitar. The young man smirked. "Be nice Onarajeth, you could've taken your time, I'd still be right here!" he mock-scolded his bronze as they made their way out of the Grounds.

R'tar couldn't help admiring his lifemate as Onarajeth ate. The young bronze was lovely, his hide a delicate blend of tan and gold with a hint of green that was unique to himself. Onarajeth had good conformation even at this early age, his size big for a hatchling, his neck proudly arched, flowing smoothly into well-sloped shoulders and a slightly long torso, then ending in a long, tapering tail. The tip of his tail was flicking busily at the moment as the hatchling consumed his first meal.

"You're the most beautiful bronze in the world, Onarajeth." R'tar murmured, not quite used to using metal communication yet. The hatchling paused for a moment to lift his head and regard his rider lovingly with whirling eyes. And you are the best rider ever. Onarajeth responded before returning to his food.

R'tar! A green rises! I want to catch her! Onarajeth bugled, accompanying his mental statement with an image of the brilliantly shining green.

R'tar nearly spit out the mouthful of klah he'd been drinking. WHAT?! was all he could manage.

I go! the bronze weyrling flew down to join the waiting males. R'tar, almost in a trance, walked out of his weyr and down to the group of male riders surrounding the green's.

The rising green shrieked her challenge and leaped into the sky. Onarajeth was on her tail, his smaller bulk easier to take off with. However, with most of competition large and fully grown, the young bronze knew he would have to make the catch quickly before he tired.

Before he could make a move, though, one of the adult bronzes swept forward and twined with the green. Onarajeth gave a dragon-sized sigh and dropped back to the Weyr, wanting his rider's comfort.

R'tar ran out to where his dragon had landed and hugged the bronze neck. "It's all right, 'Nara, it's all right. You did great!" the rider assured his dragon repeatedly, scratching Onarajeth's eyeridges and rubbing his nose.

You think so? the weyrling asked anxiously, plainly still worried. "I'm sure of it, love." R'tar said stoutly. Onarajeth looked up towards the sky, then back at his rider. All right. I will try again soon. he commented.

R'tar was somewhat apprehensive when he was summoned to the Weyrleader's office, to say the least. He kept scanning his memory to see if he'd done anything wrong, but so far nothing bad had turned up...

N'vin gestured for him to enter. "Have a seat." the older bronzerider said, sitting down behind the desk, leaning forward, and folding his hands. R'tar nervously sat down and waited for the outburst that was sure to come.

"Now, you are probably wondering why I brought you here." N'vin began, cutting off the young man's voice. "You may have heard that we are going to form a new wing." he continued, smiling a little. R'tar relaxed a bit at the smile. "The other Wingleaders have decided that you are the best choice to lead the wing."

R'tar was silent for a few seconds while he digested that sentence. He managed to keep calm while taking his leave of the Weyrleader.

Once out of earshot, he let out several whoops of jubilation and ran forward to hug his dragon's neck. Onarajeth looked down at his rider in amusement. I take it you are happy to be Wingleader. he stated calmly. R'tar chuckled. "You bet!" he shot back, clapping the bronze's neck several times in affection.