Well, it's been a long time since I posted anything. I started writing this story over the summer, but I wasn't going to post it until I'd finished it. However, since there is a horrible lack of male green rider stories here, I felt that I had to contribute what I have so far, and if it's any good, I'll continue. So, let me know!

Chapter 1 – Remembrance and an Errand

Aiden stood amid the chaos of the Hatching Ground. Everywhere he looked, newly hatched dragons were stumbling around, trying to find their riders. The young Candidates tried their hardest to attract the dragonets, attempting to make Impression. He could hear the crowd of Holders and Craftsmen cheering on those who came from their own Holds and Halls.

This was a good clutch. Not one of Ramoth's, but one of Benden's junior queens. Not all of the eggs had hatched yet, but a large number of bronzes had already appeared, and there was a queen egg waiting off to the side, surrounded by a group of girls. Maybe one of the few eggs left would have a bronze or a brown in it for him, though he really didn't care what color dragon he got, if he got one.

Aiden couldn't figure out why the Weyr riders had Searched him. He was shy and rather submissive, always being bullied by the older boys at the Beastcrafthall, though he was already seventeen Turns old. Even now, when he knew how important it was to be assertive, he couldn't quite bring himself to move more than a couple steps from where he stood at the edge of the group of Candidates. The dragonets would ignore him if they thought he wasn't a strong personality, and he was running out of time and chances. What had been a large clutch of thirty-five eggs had rapidly dwindled to about five or six. He counted eight other Candidates left, waiting for their chance to Impress.

He was momentarily distracted by the rocking of the queen egg. He watched, forgetting about the rest of the clutch, as the little queen burst from her shell and nearly ran her choice over with enthusiasm. A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched the Impression occur.

Turning his attention back to the other eggs, he realized that he'd missed two of them hatching. Angry with himself, he forced his legs to move forward. He didn't think he'd manage an Impression, but by the first shell, he had to try! He wouldn't be able to live with the lost chance if he didn't.

The egg nearest him, though he was still quite a few paces away, cracked open, and an awkward green dragonet spilled out onto the sand. The last girl remaining on the Hatching Ground gave a cry of happiness as she rushed forward, arms outstretched. The other eggs began to crack as well, and the other boys, who were much closer to them than Aiden was, left the green to the girl and formed a circle around the new hatchlings. One of them was a bronze. Aiden sighed and stopped his forward march.

The green, her attention attracted by the girl's sudden rush at her, began crying piteously. The girl dropped to her knees to comfort the little dragonet, but the green swing her head around, as if searching for something.

"Hey, hey! Don't cry! I'm Liona, Liona! Don't you hear me? What's your name?" the girl was speaking out loud to the dragonet when she should have been conversing mentally with her. Aiden turned back to look at the pair. Had Impression not been made? As he turned, the dragonet's wedge-shaped head swung around to face him. She was there!

She was happy! She loved him! Why was he so far away from her, when they should be close together, as rider and dragon? She stumbled away from the girl who made strange sounds at her.

Aiden closed the gap between himself and the green, his lovely, beautiful, darling dragon! How could he ever have thought she'd choose that silly girl over him, when they were so perfect for each other? He fondled her head and neck as she butted against his legs, a light crooning noise emitting from her throat. He laughed and scratched her eye ridges.

I'm hungry, she said plaintively in his head.

I know, darling, he replied.

She raised her head so their eyes met again, and Aiden was hit with another wave of affection.

My name is Printeth.

He knew her and she knew him. They were together!

~0~

Shira sat beside him at the table in the kitchen. The young green rider, as usual, didn't wait a moment before opening her mouth.

"What are you thinking about, A'den? You're dragonlengths away from here, and your klah is cold!"

A'den looked at his friend with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Shira. Liona was chewing me out about keeping my weyr clean this morning, so I started thinking about our Impression to make myself feel better."

Shira grinned. "Liona is going to have to get over it sooner or later, you know. It's been three Turns now, and she's failed to Impress at every Hatching she's been presented at! It's not your fault she didn't get Printeth."

"I know," said A'den, taking a sip of his klah. He grimaced. It was cold.

"Do you know which wing you're being assigned to yet?" Shira asked, switching gears quickly.

"No. But then, we were just released from the Weyrlings' Barracks this week, and most of the wings are full of more experienced riders. They don't really need new dragons just now."

We will fight Thread eventually, Printeth said, picking up on her rider's impatience.

A'den chuckled and relayed Printeth's comment to Shira. She laughed along with him at their mutual irritation at still being useless to their weyr. Benden Weyr, once the lone Weyr protecting Pern from the threat of Thread with only about two hundred dragons, now boasted so many beasts that the graduated Weyrlings often had to continue with their Weyrling duties for some time before they were assigned to real duties within a fighting wing. Many complained bitterly about the situation, but A'den tried to keep his feelings quiet. He didn't want to bring anyone's wrath down on himself, and honestly, the longer he could keep Printeth's beautiful green hide free of Threadscore, the better in his opinion.

Brown rider T'thir came into sight of their table, and Shira's smile instantly grew. A'den sighed quietly. His friend was becoming something of a flirt around the riders, especially the older ones.

"Isn't he a bit old for you?" He asked.

Shira glared at him. "He's handsome. Plus he said Rinalth hasn't gone after a green in while, so when Myorth rises…"

A'den swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat. "Look, just because you want Rinalth to fly your green, doesn't mean it will happen."

"But having a preference for a rider can help tip the scales a bit!"

"Aren't you giving poor Myorth some mixed signals, then? I saw you making eyes at Harenth's rider the other day, what's his name…"

"K'nir!" Shira said with a huff. "And who cares if I'm keeping my options open? I don't want to get too attached to one rider before Myorth rises."

A'den snorted.

"What about you?" Shira asked. "You haven't shown interest in any riders. Don't you want to give Printeth something to go by?"

"I don't really care that much," A'den said, feeling heat rush to his face.

Shira grinned at him. "I bet you do. There are plenty of handsome riders around here! Personally, I'm glad I'm at Benden, the riders at the other Weyrs just aren't as good-looking for some reason."

"That's just it!" A'den said with more force than he meant to. "All the riders of male dragons are, well… male. I don't… I've never…"

Shira giggled, and A'den told her to shove between.

"Oh, A'den, it's not that bad. Every green rider does it, and most of them are still male. Everyone expects it."

A'den scowled. "That doesn't make it any better for me. I've never even been with a woman, let alone…" he trailed off. "Anyway, at this point, I don't care who it is. It's embarrassing enough without trying to pick someone out beforehand."

Shira's reply was cut off as a shadow fell over their table. A'den looked up to see a rider he couldn't remember seeing before.

"J'mes, blue Dolinth's rider," he said by way of greeting. "Are you A'den?"

A'den nodded and started to stand.

"Good. When you finish your breakfast, please come to the lake. My wingleader has an errand for you."

J'mes gave a little nod to each of them before turning and walking away.

Shira turned to A'den. "He's handsome enough. And he rides a blue!"

"Don't you go turning match-maker on me, Shira!" A'den hissed.

Shira laughed and waved a hand at him. "You'd better finish your breakfast fast! Don't want to keep a wingleader waiting. You never know, he might ask you to join his wing! Lucky…" she ended on a sigh.

A'den gulped down the last of his klah and strode out to where Printeth waited on the ledge.

I remember Dolinth, Printeth said as he climbed onto her neck.

"Do you, now? When did you meet him?" A'den asked.

At the feeding grounds a few days ago. He let me have the large buck he'd singled out. She sounded satisfied.

A'den laughed. "Well, that was certainly polite of him, wasn't it?"

They glided down to the lake and landed near the older rider who was standing by the shore, looking over some Records. A'den dismounted, giving a scratch to Printeth, and approached the bronze rider.

"A'den, green Printeth's rider. Blue rider J'mes told me to come?" A'den said politely.

The bronze rider smiled at him. "Yes. I'm T'fir, Girlath's rider. I've got a question for the Masterherder." He waved the Records slightly in emphasis. "I was told you come from that crafthall."

"Yes, I do, wingleader." A'den replied.

T'fir nodded. "Then, I would like you to convey the Masterherder here and take him to the Headwoman. Some of our herdbeasts seem to have taken ill recently, but there's nothing in our Records that mentions the symptoms. We're worried about it."

A'den gave a little bow and a salute. "You can count on me, wingleader!"

The bronze rider nodded again in recognition and dismissed him.

A'den turned and walked over to where Printeth was waiting, a smile on his face. The smile faded once he saw who was heading towards them.

It is the girl who makes strange sounds, Printeth said, sounding angry. A'den barely managed to keep from clenching his fists.

Liona didn't even look at him. She never did unless she had to, preferring to speak towards Printeth, as if the green dragon could hear her and respond.

"Please inform rider A'den that he is to help out with kitchen duty tonight, and so he should not waste time playing around on his errand," she said, stressing the last word as though it had no importance.

"I know I'm on kitchen duty, Liora. I'm not going to play around on a job that a wingleader gave me." A'den was impressed with his own self-control.

Liora sniffed. "I just wanted to make sure that your duties were understood. Wouldn't want anything to be neglected, would we?" She marched swiftly away before A'den could say anything in reply.

He hated how Liora treated him, acting as though he had stolen Printeth from her that day. More bothersome, however, was how much the girl annoyed Printeth. Liora kept as close to the green's weyr as possible, even going so far as to wake up in the early hours of the morning to be at Printeth's side before A'den was even awake. At every turn she insinuated that A'den was neglecting Printeth, though everyone knew it to be false.

She makes you angry, said Printeth.

"She makes you angry, too. She should leave you alone, love," A'den said, stroking her neck to soothe her. He shook his head, trying to make the rest of his anger go away. "It's not important now, though. We've got to get to the Beastcrafthall."

He stepped on Printeth's offered foreleg and settled himself on her neck as he spoke.

Yes, I want to make sure the herdbeasts are healthy. I wouldn't want a sick one in my belly.

A'den laughed as they took off and he gave her the coordinates. Hopefully his job on this errand, despite its being rather small, would earn him a place in a fighting wing.