Nycaea

Ryslen Weyr
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Standing sweating on the burning sand, most of Nycaea's mind was annoyed; though this day could be the day her life was changed forever.

When the first two dragons hatched, such trivial matters as heat fled the journeywoman's mind. These dragons....they were unlike any other! Each one started with an ordinary dragon color, but shaded to white at the hindquarters. Amazing!

The third egg rocked itself into a beam of sunlight, almost spotlighting it. A web of tiny cracks ran along the entire orb before the hatchling exploded out in a rain of cream-colored shell fragments. The sunlight caressed the dragonet's green hide, making her seem two-toned like her previously hatched siblings. But when she moved for the girls, the sunlight seemed to come with her. She too was bicolored.

Nycaea's breath caught in her throat. The little green's hide was colored exactly like sunlight on carved jade....her features were delicately lovely, her every movement flowing and graceful. The young woman envied the girl who would Impress such a beautiful lifemate. Wait a minute. The hatchling couldn't possibly be coming....towards her?

All eyes turned towards Nycaea as the dragonet deliberately stopped before her. My name is Heuth. "Heuth." She whispered, touching the shimmering green hide almost reverently. "Heuth." Nycaea repeated to herself, leading her dragon out of the stifling heat.

All right Heuth, go to it! Nycaea reached out mentally to her lifemate. The white-green dragon spread her wings and leapt off her perch, sailing down in an arc towards the feeding pens. Her rider watched expectantly.

Heuth slowed her flight and nabbed one of the smaller herdbeasts, landing a bit awkwardly on the other side of the pens. She raised her head proudly over the kill.

Nycaea pelted down from where she'd been watching. "First try, Heuth! You did it!" she exclaimed happily, not at all bothered by the messy way in which her dragon ate. Of course I did it. I am Heuth. the weyrling responded primly. Nycaea giggled.

The midmorning sun shone upon Weyrlingmaster D’lrik as he and Aurekinth face seventeen full grown Light dragons. "You’ve been one of my best Weyrling classes." He said, beginning abruptly. "As soon as I say that, the next Weyrling class will show you up faster than a flit at feeding time."

The man paced slowly to the left. "You’ve learned to fly, to flame, to go between. You’ve learned to cope with being more odd than other dragons." The Weyrlingmaster paced to the right. "You’ve shown yourselves to be strong dragons in every aspect."

Weyrlingmaster D’lrik grinned. "I’ve seen you male dragons eyeing females – both of normal coloration, and of the two-toned variety. This clearly proves you to all be fully functional male dragons... if you get my drift. Go forth and prosper."

D’lrik continued to beam at his students, and continued to talk. It wasn’t every day he got to make a graduation speech. "Ladies – feel free to sign up at any Weyr you feel comfortable enough to rise at. We’re not too sure what will come out of your eggs, but we’ll be proud of you no matter what hatches."

Aurekinth rumbled happily, and D’lrik continued. "As a parting gift, the smithcraft has done up some lovely pins. If you don’t want one, don’t take one. If you take one, display it with pride." D’lrik said, holding up the pins that matched the logos on the backs of the non-traditional candidate robes they had all worn. Someone laughed. D’lrik ignored it.

"Go forth, Dragonriders. Make us proud."

Everyone clapped soundly. As soon as the applause died down, Nycaea and several others stepped forward to take one of the pins. She moved off from the others to sit in a nearby patch of shade, fingering the cool metal in her hand.

The newly-made greenrider tried the pin in different positions. None of them looked good. Heuth glided down from her perch on the rim, lowering her great head to blink at the pin curiously. Very pretty. she commented, a little puzzled.

Nycaea finally found a position she liked; attaching the pin to the top of her new shoulderknots, where all the braided ropes joined together.

Come on. I want a bath, and there's several blues and browns at the lake. Hurry! Heuth said impatiently, rustling her wings and shifting on her hindquarters. Nycaea raised one eyebrow, then chuckled and got to her feet. "All right, silly, I'm coming. The lake's not going to dry up!"