A/N: Please see "Can Do No Wrong" for the background for this alternate timeline. Anne McCaffrey created and owns Pern, not me.

First Rising: Part IV of Stories from StarStorm

StarStorm Weyr

Second Interval, 177.08-178.04

J'fren grinned at Sl'tren as the Weyrlingmaster fastened the Weyrling Wing knots on his shoulder.

The Weyrlingmaster returned the smile and said, "You did it, J'fren. Now, you just have to stay out of trouble in the Weyrling Wing until you graduate. It won't be long until you're in a fighting Wing. Maintain your self-discipline and you'll be a fine rider."

"Thank you, sir," J'fren replied. "I'll do my best."

"I know you will, lad," Sl'tren replied and patted his shoulder. At last. J'fren was someone else's problem. Sl'tren felt 10 Turns younger with that thought. Although the past several months had been relatively tranquil where his feisty little brownrider was concerned, Sl'tren had no doubt the lad would present something of a challenge to R'mef, who led the Weyrling Wing.

The first couple of sevendays were concerned largely with more formation flying and learning essential duties, like catching firestone sacks mid-air. Shimuth had reached his full growth, and was a fine-looking dragon. All the greens seemed to think so, anyway. J'fren kept a low profile where the girls were concerned, and told Shimuth to stay away from any greens who were soon to rise. He was doing well and didn't want to make a mistake now.

Life took a turn when J'fren had been with the Weyrling Wing for about six months and the pair had been flying between regularly for about three. Shimuth had been paying rather close attention to a green dragon, in spite of J'fren's admonition. She was a beautiful beast, no doubt -- just the color of new leaves. He wasn't even sure who her rider was, but had cautioned the big brown to stay away from Fralmith, anyway. Shimuth grumbled a bit, but said he would.

Not long after that warning, J'fren was walking across the Bowl one afternoon, when the scream of a green dragon rising came over the air. J'fren hardly noticed, so intent was he on his own thoughts. Suddenly, a fist of dragon-induced lust slammed him in the chest. He stopped cold and shaded his eyes toward the feeding grounds. There was Shimuth, blooding a buck, and waiting for the green to launch herself!

He ran at full tilt toward the grounds, screaming at his dragon to stop and pull back. He was too late, as the green -- Fralmith -- leaped into the air and Shimuth followed. This was not good. He saw the other riders, whose faces were intent with the effort of maintaining mental contact with their beasts and looked around for the green's rider. Well, at least it was a female. But Faranth's egg, he hoped Shimuth missed the green. The weyrlings had all talked about mating flights in their classes, and intellectually, he knew what to do. But he wasn't sure he wanted this right now.

Suddenly, someone yanked his shoulder. R'mef!

"What the shell is going on, boy?" he rasped.

"I don't know, R'mef. I told Shimuth to stay away from Fralmith. I tried to stop him when he blooded his kill. But he went after her anyway."

"Well, done is done. But we're having a talk after all this."

J'fren nodded.

"Stay with your dragon, lad!" R'mef said.

So, barely keeping his link with his dragon in his confusion, he followed the other riders to the flight chamber.

J'fren found he could watch Fralmith's rider for a good indication of how the flight was going. She was unconsciously echoing her dragon's thoughts aloud. He linked minds with his dragon again and finally saw the flight through Shimuth's eyes. The big brown was catching up to Fralmith, and J'fren was caught up in that wave of rut instinct. He reached for Fralmith's rider and caught her up against his chest. Never had he felt such male, wild lust. He kissed the girl fiercely and wondered what her name was. But then, he was too caught up in passion to think of anything.

Saldia opened her eyes and felt for her dragon. Still conked out from that loud, wild flight. She wasn't even certain she knew who caught her girl. She turned over, but all she could see was a shock of black hair. Who was that? Saldia was sure she didn't know. She couldn't think of any of the blue or brownriders who had such dark hair.

The man stirred and turned over. His longish hair still obscured his face. Nice mat of hair on his chest, too. Not too thick -- just right. He raised a hand and brushed the hair off his face and turned toward her. His eyes, black as night, opened and he grinned lazily at her. By the First Egg! He was a child!

"What's your name, sweeting?" he asked. "I'm J'fren."

"S-Saldia," she stammered. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," he answered.

"Blast it, I'm old enough to be your mother!" Saldia exclaimed.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"Forty-two. How in the world did your dragon get involved in this flight?" she asked.

"Not my idea. He'd been sniffing around your Fralmith and I told him to leave her alone, but nothing doing, apparently, because he certainly developed independent thinking when it was time to mate!" he exclaimed.

"Obviously."

"You don't have any complaints, do you? I enjoyed myself -- and you certainly seemed to," J'fren said, turning over fully and stroking her honey-colored hair from her face.

Saldia cast back into the previous hours, and pinkened at her actions. "No, no complaints -- not really. But I didn't expect to find a Weyrling in my bed, either!"

Another easy grin. "Well, Saldia, that's the way it panned out. No regrets, here."

"Nor here. I have to say, J'fren, for someone who is only seventeen, you certainly know what you're doing."

"I like women. I like pleasing them. Come here and I'll show you again," he said, grinning as he reached for her.

Saldia held back a moment and then said, "Oh shard it. Why not enjoy it while it lasts?" as she moved into his arms.

"That's what I always say," replied J'fren.

Morning had come and J'fren was lying awake in Saldia's weyr, feeling very satisfied with himself. Saldia was an attractive woman, for all she decried her looks fading with age. She was very fit, like most riders, and he liked her chin-length hair, curled under at the ends. Her blue eyes were merry and she had a nice, lilting voice. She returned from bathing and wrinkled her nose at the brownrider when she saw him awake.

"R'mef is going to tear strips out of you," she said.

"Probably. Nothing I've not been through before."

"You're awfully cavalier about it."

"If you'd been in front of a Weyrlingmaster as often as I've been for discipline, you'd understand."

Saldia moved to sit beside J'fren on the bed. "Troublemaker, were you?"

"Well, trouble seems to find me. Especially where women are concerned."

Saldia grinned in spite of herself at the man -- boy -- rider. "I can see why. That face is well-nigh irresistible."

A slow smile touched J'fren's face. "You think so?" he said.

"Mmm-hmm. I'm too old to play games with a lover. If you're good, I'll say so. If you're handsome, I'll tell you. And you, brownrider, are just about too cute for your own good." Saldia's tone was resigned.

"And you're an attractive woman, Saldia. I like you. So what are we going to do?"

"Do?" she asked, puzzled.

"Do. As in my dragon flew yours yesterday afternoon. What do you want to do?" J'fren cocked his head at the greenrider.

"Well, it's a green flight. No strings attached. I've been a rider too long for it to be likely that I would get pregnant, so you don't have to do anything. Get dressed and leave if you want to."

"That sounds a tad impersonal. I do need to get dressed, and go see R'mef, but I'd like to see you again, too."

Saldia smiled. "No need, J'fren. It was just a mating flight. A good one, though, I'll grant you."

"Come on, woman," he said, "There you were last night, griping about how all the riders your age wanted girls, not women. You were talking about how old you feel. Well, here's a young rider who likes you." Here, he took her hand and smiled wolfishly at her. "Maybe I can make you feel a little younger."

Saldia looked at J'fren keenly. She knew he was serious. And maybe he was right, at that. He had a strong, lean, compact body, and stamina to burn. She had led such a staid life at the Weyr--especially for a greenrider. She had weyrmated a brownrider for several Turns, birthed and fostered his children, then kept mostly to herself after he decided to move on. Seventeen or not, this male was passionate and eager, and it could prove diverting to keep company with him for a while. She couldn't officially weyrmate him until he was in a fighting Wing, but that was a Turn or so away. She could still have some fun, though. And if he found someone else, no harm done.

"Let the gossipers wear their tongues out, then," she said. "It's not as if this is immoral -- just unusual. If you're enough of an adult to fly my dragon, that's good enough for me. I don't know what might happen, but all right. Maybe I need to shake my life up a little."

She got his full grin, which had the effect it usually had on females -- her heart skipped a beat. "Fine, then. I'll see you after drills today," he said, and pulling her close, gave her a long, sweet, sensual kiss.

He hopped up out of the bed and dressed quickly. All Saldia could do was sit, watching him.

"J'fren, I'd heard about you in the barracks under Sl'tren. I had a feeling I needed to keep an eye on you." R'mef fixed J'fren with a stern stare. He continued, "But, after having Emseth bespeak the queens and after interviewing some of the Weyrlings, I found that, regardless of your reputation, you did do the right thing. You cautioned your dragon repeatedly about the greens, you kept mostly to your weyr, and as soon as you realized what was happening with the mating flight, you immediately took steps to prevent Shimuth rising for the green. But, he did it and he caught the dragon. Fortunately, Saldia probably can no longer conceive, so that should not be a factor. Have you reached any kind of understanding with her?" R'mef maintained his usual calm.

"Well, sir, she was surprised to see someone my age!" J'fren replied.

"I can well imagine. What else?"

"I want to see her again. I like her," the brownrider answered.

"She's forty-two, J'fren."

"I know. Does it matter?"

"No, I suppose not. But any time you spend with her comes after, and only after, your responsibilities as a Weyrling and your training. Any neglect I see there and you're confined to your weyr. Understood?"

"Absolutely, sir."

"All right, then. Shimuth bathed and fed?"

"Yes sir. Lightly fed, with training being this morning. I'll feed him a little more this evening."

"Right. No between work today, anyway. So get your wherhide on and get to the training ground."

"Yes, sir," J'fren said.

Shimuth was full of himself as he and J'fren practiced cross-over moves. "You can just get over that smugness, dragon," J'fren said to his beast.

"Why? I caught Fralmith fair and square."

"You knew you weren't supposed to sniff around her. How many times had I told you? You could have gotten us both in serious trouble. Maybe demoted. Can't have a dragon in a flight who won't follow his rider's commands."

"I understand. I'm sorry. But Fralmith is such a fine dragon. And you like her rider."

"Yes, I do like Saldia. But you've got to pay attention to me when I ask you not to do something like that. You've just got to!" J'fren was very, very firm with Shimuth.

"I will, Jeff."

Two sevendays later, Saldia was sitting with the greenriders in her wing. They all met once every couple of sevendays to mend harness and wherhide and chat. She was taking the ribbing she was getting about J'fren with good grace. These were her friends and she knew there was no malice in their jokes.

"Ooooh Sally," said Shala, "What schoolrooms have you been robbing for your boyfriends?"

"Schoolrooms, nothing!" That was Manie. "Snatched him right out of the cradle, she did!" The group dissolved into laughter.

Saldia just grinned sheepishly. "I know. Have your laugh. You lot are just jealous," she said.

"Well, maybe we are, at that," Manie said. She was a little older than Saldia -- about 50 Turns. "We'd all like to have some hot, young thing available on demand, wouldn't we, girls?" She included the three male greenriders in their circle, who nodded enthusiastically.

B'lil put his harness on his lap and sighed dramatically. "Sally, it's not fair, you know."

"What's not fair?"

"Keeping that rascal all to yourself. You ought to be generous and share!" More laughter.

"Sorry, B'lil. I have it from his best friend, C'land, who's a bluerider, that J'fren is not at all interested in, um, expanding his horizons in that way, if you know what I mean. C'land approached him when they were still Candidates, and J'fren said no thanks. He's interested in women and only women." Saldia shrugged.

"Too bad. That's just too bad. He's wasting himself confining himself to women only," B'lil mused.

"You tell him that. I'll be interested to hear his response," Saldia replied.

"No, no," B'lil said. "I suppose we'll just have to sigh from afar, ask all the blueriders to grow moustaches and fantasize from there."

Saldia chuckled. "Happy daydreaming," she said.

Shala looked shrewdly at her wingmate. "All right, Sally. Spill."

"Spill what?" she said innocently.

"You know very well what. We've all been dying to hear about that mating flight! Fralmith and Shimuth were broadcasting, let me tell you!"

Saldia paused in her mending. A dreamy look crossed her face. She shook her head and sighed. "Wild. That's what it was. Wild."

"We knew that! What else?"

"What else did you want to know?"

"Details, honey!" That was B'lil.

"Some things are best kept private," Saldia replied.

Shala rolled her eyes. "Ugh! You're being difficult. All right. Let's see. How about I ask a question and you answer it?"

"If I want to. I take the prerogative not to answer."

"Done. Now then, I think I know the answer, but does he have a nice body?" Shala asked.

"Yes."

"Hairy chest?" That was Manie.

"Not too much. Just right, really."

"What's his best feature?" from Tildy, another rider.

"His eyes."

"No, no! Body-wise!" Tildy pressed.

A slow grin spread over Saldia's face and she wrinkled her nose at Tildy.

"Besides that. That's the obvious," said Manie.

"O.K.! O.K.!" Saldia capitulated. "Um, his hands."

"Really?" said Shala.

"Well, he is a musician. Harper-trained and all on gitar," Saldia explained. "Next time you see him, notice his hands. Broad palms, graceful fingers."

"Is he a good gitarist?" asked Shala.

Saldia nodded. "He could tame a wher with his music. He sings, too."

"Really? And sings? Shells, you lucky woman. You've got him all to yourself, and he can even serenade you! Sing you to sleep!" exclaimed Manie.

"Oh, I don't need any help getting to sleep!" Saldia grinned at Manie and winked.

"Wears you out, does he?" from Tildy.

"Frequently," Saldia replied. "But I can't say that I mind."

"I'll bet you don't!" growled Shala.

"I told you we were all jealous, wanting one just like him," said Manie.

Saldia exclaimed, "You talk about him like he's a gift you give at Turn's End!"

"I'd love it if someone gave ME a gift like that for Turn's End! Something to keep in mind, ladies!" Manie shot back.

The group all laughed again and went back to their mending. Saldia didn't care. She had her days free, and her nights -- oh, her nights. When she heard Shimuth's claws on her weyr ledge, her blood quickened and when J'fren sauntered into the weyr, her heart started to beat harder. When she went into his arms, all differences of age disappeared. Nothing else mattered in the world.

She turned over and felt Jeff's hands on her body again. Sometimes, he could sleep like a rock, sometimes if she so much as wiggled, he woke up.

"Jeff, come on. Surely you can't want me again," she said, turning to face him.

"Oh, I do, Sally, baby," he crooned.

"Only a male your age can do this. Enjoy it while you can, my handsome rascal," she replied as he began nuzzling her neck and shoulders.

"This is the first night I've been here this sevenday and I've missed you," he said. "Tomorrow's a rest day and neither one of us has to be anywhere. I may keep you right here all day long."

"Fine. Suits me," she replied. Sally felt his arms, grown sinewy with training, and felt how solid his chest was, how muscled his thighs were. He would never be physically overpowering, but he could surely stop any woman in her tracks if he crooked his finger at her. His moustache tickled her face as he insisted on kissing her deeply, slowly, sensually. Saldia gave up on sleep for a while and melted into his arms happily.

She knew it wasn't love or anything like it, but she was surely going to enjoy it while it lasted.