Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Pern, or the Dragons, Riders or locations of Pern. These are all property of Anne McCaffrey, but I am using my own original characters.

N'kor was returning to Benden Weyr after the last Fall. The pass was nearing its' end, and supposedly it would be the final one, after Aivis' plan with the Red Star had been finished. He had never had time to go see the device himself, but he wished he had before it had been 'terminated'. He had his blue, Slinoth, land on the ledge to their weyr. He slid from the dragons back and landed with a quiet thud on the carpet below and walked into his part of the weyr.

Since he was just a lowly blue rider, he had only a few Weyr-bound duties, and could spend most of his time, outside of Falls that is, hiring himself out as a messenger or watch dragon for a hold, so he always had plenty of various types of marks to buy whatever he wanted with, so his little blue rider weyr was cluttered with all sorts of stuff. Maybe I should sell some of this at the next gather… He thought idly to Slinoth.

Really? Took you this long to figure that out? I don't know how you can move around in there. I'm happy I have my weyr all to myself. N'kor heard the quiet rumble of the dragon laughing from the other room. N'kor stripped out of his riding gear and walked into his bathing room, where he had a small tub ready to be filled. He turned the water on and waited for it to fill before he stripped the rest of his clothes off to get it, it was cold night, though dragon flame and Thread ash had kept him warm through the Fall, and he wanted in the hot water and back into his clothes as quick as he could so that he could go eat without every one backing away cause of the dragon breath-like smell he would have from all sweating he had done, reminders of the narrow misses from other dragons. He would have to talk to wingleader S'jar about some of the new riders and their lack of ability, there was serious need for me Fall training.

Hey! My breath isn't that bad! He chuckled to Slinoth's retort to the insult.

You would think so if you had to smell the flame that came from it, you fly to fast for the smell to bother you! That just got him another rumbling chuckle, and his weyr filled with residue smoke from the firestone.

Since you enjoyed the smell enough to remember it.

N'kor sunk into the water, his nose just above it, leaving the smoke to high for the smell to get to him. He stayed in the water till it began to thin out, spreading around the Weyr, the smell weakening. He grabbed a hand full of sweet sand from the wher hide bag he had hanging beside the tub and quickly bathed, getting out and drying off with a towel, then getting dressed in a clean outfit.

He ran to the weyr-ledge, where Slinoth was waiting. The dragon launched himself off of the ledge, and the rider leaped off of it after him, the dragon catching him easily as he glided down to the bottom of the bowl-shaped Weyr. After he landed, N'kor leaped off and ran to the kitchen. The main flood of post-Fall riders had already swept through while he was taking a bath, so he didn't have to wait around as he quickly picked out what he wanted.

Taking a platter full of food and a mug of hot klah to a table that he saw some of his friends at, he sat down and hugged one of the girls, just because he knew it would bug her that her weyrmate didn't care how affectionate he got.

"How ya doing, Islia? Looks like you made it through the Fall with but one score." He kissed the already healing scar on her cheek, finding that it was still warm.

"N'kor, you know I don't like you to get...like that." She was blushing, but she didn't move away from the quick peck like she normally did.

"Well, it's not my fault that Slinoth has no interest in flying Derenth, but you're still adorable, so I can't help it." He smiled cockily at her and sat down again.

"So I get her, cause Teroth caught Derenth." H'lar said from her other side, wrapping his arm around Islia, who leaned against him. N'kor noticed the expression in her eyes as she looked at the older bronze rider. "There are still people trying to eat here, keep it clean, or go find a weyr." He may like to flirt, but he would rather not see his friends making out on the table he was eating at.

H'lar looked thoughtful for a second, and N'kor had a moment where he noticed why Islia liked him so much, and knew that it was even more for his personality then for his dashing looks, and shook his head. "I think the young one has a point, dearest green, let's go to our weyr so we won't be interrupted." Her face lit up when he suggested that and he carried her out of the dining room.

N'kor went back to eating, and after a moment felt another thud beside him, accompanied by a sigh. "Hey Silien." He didn't stop eating, talking to her between on swallow and the next mouthful. "You sound tired or upset, so which is it?"

She watched him talk and eat. "Yea, that's real attractive N'kor." He saw her looking weird at him as he ate. He blushed and slowed down a bit.

"Sorry, but I haven't eaten for almost a day now. I had a night watch at Lemas hold, then I had to fly back here real quick for the Fall preparations, then I stayed in for the full 6 hours of the Fall, and was given post fall sweep duties, and I'm just getting back now. I'm starved."

"It's your own fault for getting all these watch-dragon jobs. You need to take a few days off and relax for once."

"Not my style, I'll rest on the next gather day."

"That's not for another sevenday…you're gonna be dead on your feet if you work at your usual pace till then." She sounded concerned, as she usually did when the topic of his work ethics were brought up. "You need to remember that Slinoth is just a blue, you can't work him like a brown or bronze."

An bugle of indignity came from above the lower caves. "Well, he happens to agree with me that he's not 'just a blue', he's the best blue on Pern, and he can give any brown a good contest. Most if not any bronze for that matter." He defended his dragon, knowing he was speaking the truth.

"Are all guys this hard headed?" Silien sighed again, shaking her head.

"You know you like it." He smiled at her again, his cocky voice reflecting his smile and good mood.

"That's irrelevant." He resisted the urge to smile even more. At least she didn't deny it like she used to, when they first Impressed. "You need to take a day off sometime. Any plans for the morning yet?"

"Not yet. I haven't had time to make any yet."

"Good, Glinth and I were going to a nearby lake for a swim, you and Slinoth should come along and relax for once."

She does have a point, we haven't been swimming in a long time. Slinoth seemed to like the idea.

If you insist. To Silien "He says it's a good idea, so sure."

She smiled brightly and hugged him. "YAY! Meet us on my weyr-ledge at two hours after dawn. And don't say you can't find it, I know you know where it is, I remember you standing out there singing song to me all night till the Weyrleaders got after you for keeping the weyr awake." She glared at him, and he laughed at the memory.

"Good times." He smiled as he finished his food off and drained the last of his klah, got up and dropped off the dirty dishes in the kitchen as he left to the weyr bowl where Slinoth was waiting for him.

Let's go to sleep now, buddy.

As you wish.

Surprised he didn't have one of his usual smart remarks, N'kor settled down on his back, and was asleep by the time he landed in the weyr.