A.N. I had the next chapter mostly written, it was the one with extreme angst that I told you about. I then decided that I needed to put an extra chap in first, so here it is. Angst next time.
Be warned, I believe that the course of true love is never smooth – this shows in my writing and will be a major theme in this story.
Two years later
'Seth duck'
The huge Bronze dipped with surprising agility to avoid the clump of thread they had almost flown into.
We were in no danger
'Yeah yeah you big oaf'
They were fighting thread over a vast expanse of mature forest, groundcrews were far less effective in this type of terrain and so the dragon riders had to be even more vigilant. Although men on the ground with flamethrowers could destroy thread burrows, even in mere seconds thread could render an entire field barren and consequently it was far better to flame it from the sky.
Her wing was flying at the highest part of the strict formation, they would receive the highest casualties but would also see far more action. Above them all was D'dor overseeing the entire fall.
A high scream tore the sky, Blue Lath went between and after a few seconds Seth reported that the Blue was back at The Weyr receiving treatment. 'Seth tell The Wing to form-up, fill his gap.' Her call had been almost instant, even the glowering V'mort some levels below could not have faulted it.
The fall was over a few hours later, as was customary The Weyrleaders flew down to check in with the groundcrews and the Lord Holder. Hermione surveyed the unbroken expanse of trees with satisfaction and pride. Thread could not be allowed to gain a foothold on Pern and they had worked for that end for thousands of turns.Slamming her fist on the table Hermione called for silence. Her wing looked up at her rapt.
"We all flew well today but we had far too many injuries for this type of fall. A few injuries are bad luck, the amount we had today amounts to carelessness and I will not have that.
So… tomorrow at daybreak we will be on the training field, we will be practicing until I feel that we have reached a level where we can stop. I'll get Grif'dor to give us a few Weyrlings to help us."
The assembled riders stared up at her without dissention, it was well known by now that Hermione would only speak the truth and each of them knew that what she said had basis in fact.
She smiled again, "We are the best wing in the best weyr on all Pern and we need to keep up our efforts if we are to survive the pass. Get some rest riders and I will see you at first light."
As they filed out Minerva walked out of her hiding space in the shadows, "Your progress has been amazing with them."
"It was slower than I'd have liked but we are getting there."
"Aye, a year ago that conversation would have gotten you lynched." The tone of the older womans voice was wry, remembering the uproar caused when Grif'dor announced that he was retiring to become Weyrlingmaster and that Hermione was to replace him.
Hermione smiled up at the weyrwoman and noted the two mugs of Klah in her hands. "You always bring me Klah when I need it most."
"D'dor always tells me that the way to a womans heart is through her stomach." Their eyes suddenly met as they both absorbed the implications of the older womans joke, Minerva blushed, she had never intended to flirt – the jest had just slipped out.
Hermione coughed and averted her eyes, this was becoming a frequent pattern with the two of them. One would make a comment that could be interpreted in two ways and they would make eye contact before backing off. She sighed, where was that legendary dragon-rider courage?
Seth intervened, inserting the image from earlier in her mind. The image of Minerva and Brath swooping down to meet the holders. Hermiones eyes lingered on the vision of the shapely rider before being drawn lower to her dragon.
"Brath was in good colour today."
"Yes she has been warming her hide in the sun a lot lately."
"She is so golden that the sun pales in comparison." Hermione was playfully hinting at what should have been obvious, what was obvious by the flush in her cheeks.
"She's…oh." Minerva then did a mental calculation realising that Brath was fast approaching her heat cycle and would rise within days.
Hermione smirked then. It was at moments like this that no one could dispute that she was indeed a Bronze rider.
Minerva gave her own patented smirk back, "I guess that means you'll be running away again?"
"What?"
The older woman walked behind her protégé, leaning closer to Hermione she whispered in her ear. "Do you think that I haven't noticed…?"
She leaned even closer, actually brushing against the young womans trembling back,
Hermione sagged helplessly against her Weyrwoman, eyes closed.
"…that every time Brath rises, you disappear?"
Her eyes opened in shock; pulling away from Minerva she turned to face her. "I hadn't… I didn't…"
Their eyes met for a moment, Hermiones wide and staring, Minervas lidded and suddenly very dark as the effect of her dragons' sensuality hit her.
"Why do you leave?" Her voice was seduction itself, her northern accent suddenly very pronounced.
Hermiones face flushed angrily, "You know why!" She practically hissed the words before turning on her heel to walk away.
A hand reached out and grabbed her arm, the Weyrwoman pulled Hermione to face her. The two women were close, face to face. Looking at each other, an understanding passing between them, they stayed still for a timeless moment. Just gazing at each other. Minervas hand on Hermiones arm turned from a grip to a caress, loving the feel the downy hairs standing up under her touch.
Hermione raised her own hand cupping the older womans face tenderly, "I can't."
Pulling gently out of the womans grasp she smiled before retreating to the safety of her Weyr and Seth.
Braths frenzied squeals as she blooded her kill prior to her mating flight disturbed training the next morning. Bronzes and their riders took up positions around the bowl to watch the mating flight, in any other situation the dragons would be preparing to ride the queen but as it was D'dor they would be competing with no one would allow their dragon to fly Brath.
The riders of the other Golds were quickly astride their beasts and taking them from The Weyr, a mating queen would see others as a threat and could attack them and so all of them would be taken away. Queens were far too valuable to risk. There were a few Bronzes fleeing from The Weyr too, these were mostly young Bronzes whose riders feared that they would not be able to restrain their beasts – Hermione was among them She looked down from high above The Weyr, saw Minerva staring up at her longingly, saw D'dor moving purposely towards his Weyrmate, saw Areth poised for flight.
Her voice cracked as she told Seth to go between. The dragon hesitated.
Why do you cause yourself pain? I would be pleased to ride Brath
"No Seth! She is for Areths rider."
Which makes Brath and Minerva both miserable
'Seth take us to Hogsmede NOW!!!'
Minerva still stared up as Hermione and Seth blinked into between. Brath gave a roar which was a pretty good approximation of how her rider was feeling just at that moment. The queen launched herself into the sky and then Minerva was lost in her dragons primitive emotions. The mating flight was powerful and the two Weyrmates retired to their quarters.
Meanwhile at distant Hogsmede Hold the riders who had left The Weyr were enjoying themselves. Their dragons were perched on the Holds fireheights while they received the hospitality that was their due. They were drinking wine and talking, Hermione was pretty quiet but her mood was soon cheered by good wine and good company. There was no sense in dwelling on what she couldn't have.
Returning to The Weyr later that evening she flew there straight. Travelling between took mere seconds no matter how far one wanted to travel but going the long way she had time to think and could revel in the company of her dragon. Theirs was a bond that could never be broken, that no other attachment could ever rival but both would like a mate for life to share that bond with.
Do you know that I like Brath?
'I know love.'
As you like Minerva
'I know but Brath belongs to Areth, as Minerva belongs to D'dor."
I am now the biggest and strongest Bronze on Pern, I could outfly him
"NO!" She said aloud shaking her head, 'Our loyalty is to The Weyrleader and we will not depose him.'
Although Seth did not reply Hermione could sense his dissatisfaction with her response. After all tradition and draconic instinct dictated that the fastest and strongest dragon would get to mate and thus ensure good offspring. It was only the human considerations of the riders that had kept an aging Areth flying the much fitter and younger Queen.
Fifteen years before when Areth had been still strong he had flown Brath fairly after the death of the previous senior Queen and the suicide of her rider. Five years later he almost killed Areth by forcing the Bronze to compete in her mating flight which he was no longer fit to compete in. Since that day no dragon had risen to mate with Brath other than Areth, with no competition he easily caught the Gold but with mating flights that were getting shorter as time went on the clutches laid by Brath were getting smaller and smaller. There were enough Queens on Pern to make up for this deficit but D'dor was rapidly loosing the respect of some of those under his command.
It was only a matter of time before either Areth was too old to fly the queen at all or someone actually pitted their younger dragon against him. In doing so they would win Brath, Minerva and would become The Weyrleader of Hogwarts Weyr.
So we should make our move
'No.'
We should at least watch in case another Bronze tries
'Ok, but you will not pursue it without my consent Seth.'
We are as one I will do as you ask
They continued their flight towards the Weyr. Both were silent, heavy thoughts weighing on their minds. Hermione knew that the first Bronze to try to depose D'dor would be V'morts and she couldn't allow him to take over The Weyr and twist it to his way of thinking.
Minervas thoughts were also in tumult, she had risen from her bed leaving D'dor still slumbering and had quickly gone to bathe. Wrapping herself tightly in a robe she went out to the ledge where Brath was lying exhausted, Areth long banished back to his own weyr. Placing a hand on her dragons hide she tried to take solace in the bond that they shared.
She looked up at the bright stars above her, the Red Star pulsing brightly, a malevolent presence in the sky since before the start of the fall. Her breath was a plume of steam in the cool night air. Her mind dwelled on her young protégé as it had been for some time now. She sighed, she couldn't even tell Brath how she felt.
I do know
Minerva almost couldn't repress her amusement, dragons take on some personality aspects of their riders and Brath had developed her sarcastic comments.
'I am sorry Brath.'
Why
'These last few years I have not been fair to you.'
I understand
'Do you really?'
I believe so
'I force you to mate with a dragon you find repellent because I have personal feelings his rider.'
The fastest and strongest pursuing dragon gets to mate with me, Areth is the only dragon that seeks to fly me and so I mate with him. You force me to do nothing
Minerva wrapped her arms around the Queens wide neck, feeling the dragons sadness as if it were her own, which in some ways it was. Neither of them had had a choice in who their mates would be. She had been flattered when she realised that she was to be D'dors Weyrwoman and in charge of The Weyr but there had been no choice in who would mate with her.
There had been times over the years when she had felt things for D'dor but he was the kind of man that you had to love. The whole situation was complex but it was only in the last few years that it had bothered her.
Since Hermione and Seths impression?
Brath was coy when she said this, getting straight to the heart of Minervas confusion. She pulled her robe a little tighter. 'Which Bronze would you prefer to fly you?'
You already know, a dragon and her rider should always be in agreement
Before Minerva could reply the Watchdragon bugled a welcome to a dragon that was flying over the rim of the bowl. Seth swooped down to the feeding ground, Hermione dismounted and allowed her dragon to feed. Even at that distance Minerva saw the moment when Hermione turned her gaze to the ledge on which she stood. She stood up and stared down at Hermione, for the first time she fully realised how much the girl had come to mean to her and how incredibly attractive she was.
Hermione was staring up at the vision of beauty above her, Minerva was stood clutching a robe to her bare body, long slender legs were revealed for eager eyes to devour. Swallowing, her mouth suddenly dry Hermione forced her eyes up to Minervas face, while still taking her time to admire the older woman. They both stood there until the days dawning forced them to get some sleep, for tomorrow thread would fall and they would both need to be rested to prepare.
