Dragonhandlers of Pern (Open)

[Chimera]

I am not a giant firelizard. Mattoth remarked as he cheeped and caught a passing insect.

"Sure y'aren't."

Mattoth crunched on the insect and swallowed.

L'nor continued oiling the brown dragonet, pausing to dip the large brush he was using into the container of oil. Mattoth let his large wings drop down as his back was oiled, no indent between the ridges on his back missed.

You still wish I was Lanosk.

"No. Yer a drag'n, an' I wouldn' have it any oth'r way."

I thought you favored whers?

"Well, used ta, but...y'know. Y'chose me."

I did. But don't worry, we will find who I am and who you are one day. Just be patient.

"Yeah, yeah, alright."

Really, as each day passed since the eventful double hatching, L'nor had come to realize it was never really the dragons he hated, but their riders. That greenrider... L'nor had been a boy when it happened, but the memory of his mother's lover and his father's reaction was a clear spot in the fuzziness of a childhood that seemed eons ago.

It was the morning, after a lesson, and oiling time - but the sky was a saturated blue, full of fluffy clouds and a sun that seemed painfully bright to L'nor after about one and a half seasons of wher candidacy. The weyrling was oiling his dragon outside, near the Weyrling Barracks. Mattoth would send him many images every day - right now he tried to ease his bonded's reaction to the actual sky with a soft, pastel sunrise. There was always an aura of calmness and steadiness radiating from the newly-hatched subking. L'nor was still grouchy and sarcastic, but one could easily tell he was a bit...happier now.

He'd learned a little about dragons when Kalesk and Callistath had first clutched together, but Mattoth wasn't too different from a wher in ways. Browns were a good color, in dragons, whers, and firelizards over all - though Randiel's brown wheret was destructive and violent. L'nor and Mattoth shared a sense of dry humor and stubbornness, and much more than that.

"Almost done oilin' ye. Shards, how th' 'ell am I gonna oil ye when yer all big an' grown?"

Somehow. Mattoth answered dreamily as he bluntly tried to slip in an image of a firelizard to L'nor.

"Oh, no. Not gettin' a flit. Yer bad enough, don't need more little copies a'ye flyin' about." L'nor squinted as the rays of the sun caught in his eye, and turned away a bit. His brown dragonet blew a puff of hot air from his nostrils in amusement - by luck, L'nor might end up with a firelizard one day. Of course, Mattoth wouldn't force one on his bonded - that would be silly. Pillies didn't seem to be something either of them were interested in, but Mattoth wouldn't mind getting to see one of them.

[Serah]

After Callistath's and Kalesk's Hatching was a busy time. So many were injured to some degree. Some more serious than others, A'mor noted as he thought of one of the new Burgandy Weyrlings. But he needed to attend to his dragon. The infirmary could do without him for a little while. If they really needed him, they could send Shanza or another fire lizard with a message. He would even leave his own fire lizards there so they could reach him if he was needed.

It seemed he wasn't the only one attending the needs of his dragon. He recognized the young boy as one of the new Weyrlings. A'mor couldn't place a name to the Brown Weyrling or his dragon, so he thought he would fix that. In order to do so, A'mor walked up to the Weyrling. He nodded his head, giving a smile and a wave in greeting to the boy. Noyth landed in the bowl slightly behind him at that moment, he barely turned to look at the Gray knowing what she was thinking.

"Hello there boy. Congratulations on your Impression. I'm A'mor and this here is Noyth. Mind if I get your names?" He said to L'nor. He picked his brush up then, and keeping himself facing the boy as much as possible, began to oil his dragon. Finally. Well dear, it would've been rude of me not to at least congratulate the lad. A'mor told the Gray, which she agreed and let the conversation drop there.

[Chimera]

An' a bit a' oil on yer silly face and we're almost...

From instinct, L'nor's head whipped around when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps - and the soft sound of wingbeats. A rider. The weyrling didn't return A'mor's smile, but he did return a wave of his hand (the one that didn't hold the brush) and a curt nod of his head. Mattoth's eyes remained the same blue-green color, but he shuffled a bit in curiosity, craning his still-awkward hatchling head further for a better look at the strange dragon.

Gray? The brown asked L'nor.

One a' the rarer colors. Somethin' like yer yellow brother, Kamikith? The kind that can be either boy or girl. Ne'er actually seen one 'til now...

Oh.

"Hello, A'mor a'...of...gray Noyth. Nice ta meet ye." L'nor responded rather neutrally, trying to keep his heavy accent and remaining disdain for riders to a low in his voice. He turned away to continue oiling Mattoth, finishing up the chore he'd have to repeat often for the rest of his...Mattoth's life. Hopefully, that would be far, far away. Dragonriding was something he had not expected as a career, but L'nor didn't want the brown to leave his life until they were both old and retired anyways. It was a sad thought, and an uncomfortable one that sent an equally uncomfortable feeling down his spine, and Mattoth huffed softly as well. He turned his mind away from such thoughts.

"Haven't seen a gray before. Noyth's a lovely gray." The words sounded strange, but the Weyrling had to be diplomatic to his superiors. And besides, she wasn't the ugliest he'd seen. Mattoth, meanwhile, friendlily and slowly walked up to Noyth.

Hello, Noyth. He sent her images of various gray rocks and stones and other such things he had seen in his short life so far. I saw you fly. Mattoth stated to the gray, rather interested in her. The rocks faded away into various dragons and firelizards he'd seen fly. The infant brown hummed, a wave of curiosity broadcasted to the other dragon asking what flying felt like. He would rather send her images and emotions than ask her in words. The former two could communicate so much more, yes...

[Serah]

A'mor chuckled a bit as the Weyrling spoke. "Yes, she is now, isn't she?" Was the first thing he said. He gave the Gray a pat, continuing to oil her stone-colored hide. "Grays are a rarer color. Not surprised you haven't seen one before now. Dalibor's got two Gray dragons. Not sure how many Gray whers, probably around the same number. Noyth and Tredecimth, are the Grays. Noyth's the female of the two."

He put his brush down for a moment. "Now, I do believe I missed your name lad. What did you say your name was?" A'mor asked him. He didn't want to be rude, but he also wanted to give the boy the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was nervous and forgot to introduce himself. It didn't really matter that much to him, he just wanted to know what he was called so he could stop calling him 'lad'.

Noyth turned her head to the Brown, still smaller than she was at the moment. She surmised the images of gray objects to be a comparison to her hide, which she took as a compliment. Yes, flying. She told the Brown, also sending him images of views from up in the sky. From first Impressions, she didn't dislike the Brown. That was for sure, though she wasn't going to form an opinion further than that just yet.

[Chimera]

"Well, tha' explains it." L'nor watched Noyth and Mattoth. Two colors a stone could be. The Weyrling tried to stir his memory about the dragon information he'd learned. "Heard a' tha...wha' was it, Sparkles clutch of a white dragon? Guessit means Noyth can clutch too." He scoffed a bit to himself. Some lad he was - L'nor was almost thirty. Perhaps being a Weyrling a few turns over the age limit made him seem younger. But what he'd been through in his life made him feel like he was ready to get gray hairs.

"Oh, hey, guess I forgot tha'." He sighed. He still wasn't used to L'nor instead of Lanorun, and apparently to the point where he didn't want to even introduce himself. "I'm L'nor, an' with brown Mattoth." The young man chuckled to himself briefly. "'Ow's life for ye?"

Mattoth looked up at Noyth - soon, the brown dragonet would be looking down at the much older gray dagon. He was happy that she seemed to be happy around him so far. That was always good. He viewed the frozen snippets of aerial views in his mind with fascination - his wings were large, but he could only wrap himself in them still. He could catch the wind in his wings if he could keep them up long enough, but that wasn't long at all. Soon, though, soon...Time was something that always knew how to fly.

[Serah]

A'mor nodded, thinking back to the White's hatching. "Female Whites, Grays, and Yellows can Clutch. They're a tad bit more sporadic than the Subqueens. Noyth's had quite a few Flights where she's not Clutched at all. I expect she'll Clutch in one of her next few Flights." He said, the last bit more musing to himself than to L'nor.

"Well L'nor, it's nice to meet you. Same to you Mattoth. How's life, huh? Well, recently been busy due to that last Hatching. So many were injured during that Hatching. I tell you, they're making miraculous progress in their healing. Those who Impressed will surely make good riders, or handlers. Those who have yet to Impress, well, they should be good as well. How's life treating you?"

Noyth gave a sound that sounded something like a chuckle while she watched the Brown dragonet. Patience, young Brown. You'll be able to fly soon enough. She said, inclining her head toward Mattoth. A'mor had finished oiling her hide, so she settled on a spot just behind him. She saw little reason for a rush. None of the fire lizards had come yet. They were not needed just yet. Besides, Hers would tell her when they were to go. She did not want to just yet, not with the weather as nice as it was.

[Chimera]

"So all a' them can clutch, huh. They're small, though, the Grays an' Whites. I did hear th' drag'ns from a white's clutch had diff'rent sizes than they're supposed ta...mut'nts. Di'n't th' firs' Iron come from a white or somethin? So tha' could explain it." L'nor mused. Now that he was a weyrling, he might as well get knowledge about dragon...things, and discuss it. He shrugged at A'mor's mention that Noyth would probably clutch after one of her future flights again. "In tha' case, g'luck. Hatchin's, nae one's really been orderly from what I've heard, in Dalibor. Th'one with a tan, no injuries, no deaths, everythin' fine, right? Nope. A wher gets into th' hatching an' hatches. Pretty funny when I heard it though."

"Nice t' meet ye too, again. Th' hatching was crazy, tha's right. I should've taken th' blow for Nori, but it was t'late. All torn up. But I'm proud a' her, an' Joshu, an' Ran - R'hia. Nori's made history, got one a' th' firs' burgundies. Joshu's a wherling, wasn' even a Candidate, R'hia's got a dragon too. But why the damn hatchlins messed up Nori an' Ran the most..." He shook his head slowly, and frowned. "...I don' know. Can't imagine th' family of th' deceased girl." He knew her name was Orkia, but the weyrling didn't even want to say it. The one person who he'd danced with, even if she had practically kidnapped the tall guy for a dance...It seemed he attracted bad luck, for his family too. Had it been his fault, if indirectly, for the bad luck that caused his family's exile in the first place too? "So, can' say life's treatin' me too good or too bad. Have Mattoth, nae. I was a wher candidate, thought I was too old ta get one. Didn' even care about drag'ns, was plannin' on a wher...but hey. Can't complain abou' that. He's a good li'l dragon. Not so little, I mean, an' will be even bigger. Y'got lucky with Noyth, she doesn't need as much oilin'. He chuckled dryly. And the poor queenriders...

I am patient, but it is hard to be. Mattoth twisted his neck around to see his large wings again. Soon...other than flying, what do you like to do, Noyth? He sniffed at the loamy soil, feeling its texture with a curious brown paw. He was a dragon, a creature of the air more awkward on land, but the solid earth was equally fascinating to Mattoth.

[Serah]

A'mor mulled over what L'nor had said for a bit. "It's quite possible that the first Iron did come from a White. It would, however depend on what color the dragon was that caught that White. I know if it was a Blue, Black, Gray, or Yellow that caught the White, an Iron wouldn't have been a possibility. Any other color, including another White, could've produced an Iron. Though it is very rare that happens." He told the Weyrling. He would have to look into whether the first Iron came from a White or not. It would just have to go on his to-do list.

"The Hatching was probably only that bad because both species rubbed off on one another. Everyone who's ever been to a Wher Hatching knows how crazy they can get, and a Dragon Hatching by itself can get just as crazy. Put the two together, and you have the potential for an extremely crazy Hatching. You can't blame yourself for something that you couldn't have controlled. They'll be alright, they've got all of us healers looking out for them." He said, reaching out to pat the Weyrling on the back. "I guess I did get lucky with Noyth. At least in that respect. I think you got lucky as well, with your Mattoth. He seems like he's going to be a good dragon. Noyth even likes him, and she doesn't like too many people or dragons."

Noyth puffed a breath out at A'mor in response, though she would not deny that she did like the young Brown. He seemed like a good, young dragon. She hoped that he would grow to be a good adult dragon, as the Weyr definitely needed more good dragons. Focusing on Mattoth's question, Noyth thought for a moment. I like to spend time with Mine. She answered simply. She looked toward the sky, then back to the Weyrling pair. She couldn't say about the boy just yet, but she did enjoy the Brown's company.

[Chimera]

"I don' remember where I heard it, but maybe an Iron from a White's clutch's just a rumor. Do know th' sires affect clutches too, a' course...A subking could've been th' da, a king, or another white. Of th' latter, I heard there was a clutch a' a white mum an' white da, an' all sorts a' weird mutations came from that. Jarith's clutch only had fighters though, strange as they were."

L'nor certainly agreed with that. Even Ausk's hatching, though it had been small, had been...intense. A Queen's clutch was big as it was, with boundless interactions between hatchlings to happen.

"Two queen clutches, even a' th' same species, would be crazy. This was madness. But 'twas no hatchlin's fault, in the end." Except Jafask's, maybe. "Still, it had better be more orderly than that in th' future. Seems th' security's been heightened. Or somethin'. I hope." L'nor brightened when A'mor complimented Mattoth. "Matt's a calm drag'n. Was one a' th' voices a' reason on th' sands, goin' around an' puttin' everyone in rows." He remarked, amused by the memory. "Yer Noyth seems a good drag'n too. Not all a' th' dragons, or people for tha' matter, have t'be all talkative an' in yer face, or have a load a' fake friends. Trust me, I don' usually speak this much t'everyone either."

Mattoth liked Noyth's simple answers. He liked straightforward things. Me too. He laid down next to Noyth, looking up at the bright sun, feeling its rays against his rock-colored hide. The sun is so warm. Mine thought he was for whers; he didn't see it for a while. It reminded him of being inside of his egg. He sent the gray dragon an image, or more a feeling, of the warm, wet darkness that had been his first glimpses at consciousness. The inside of his egg had been so strange - the brown heard noises, started thinking for himself. And one moment, his container fell onto his side. He told his dam that it was the way he preferred. And then he went out, truly born into the world, and in an environment of chaos to boot.