The Daring Rementh

It had been well over 3 months since the first day that Rementh had taken Julie out of the normal workings of the Weyr and kept her from disrupting the lives of all other humans. Rementh had kept Julie with her virtually every minute of every day. The only times the two were apart were toilet breaks. The relief was felt through the entire Weyr. People spoke gaily to one another. There was singing during the work day as there had never been before. Deboreen and little Makayla, especially, loved to make up songs about what they were doing.

Rementh had gained weight with this new way of life as she rarely flew. Her meals were brought to her along with Julie's, in their quarters, or, if Rementh took Julie out, the meals were brought to them wherever they were. While Julie was loving this new freedom, she lavished attention on her beautiful gold dragon. Attention and affection, but not grooming and oiling as was her dragon's need.

Rementh was restless this day and couldn't pinpoint the reason. She had not flown Thread or practiced maneuvers with the other queen dragons and dragonriders since taking on this experiment. She missed the other queens and riders, but refused to dwell on it in case Julie felt her thoughts and got aggravated.

They were out of the Weyr today, on the far side of the mountain away from the Weyr entrance. The beautiful grapevines went as high up the mountainside as could be planted and came down almost to the waters of the lake. The luscious red-gold orbs were nearly ready to harvest, and the air was heady with their sweet aroma.

Julie gazed around her in satisfaction. She didn't miss the chores. She didn't miss people, except as servers to her every whim. She had Rementh, and in Rementh's eyes, Julie felt she was also golden. She was lithe and trim and lovely to look at, with small upright breasts and a flat belly. She knew she looked great. She, too, felt a restlessness on this gorgeous late fall day. But she gave herself up to her swimming. Since it was just her, she had slipped out of her wrap and dove in with a little splash. She paddled a moment, then lengthened her stroke and kicked with her feet. She rolled over on her back and floated, letting the sun beam down on her.

Since Rementh had taken over Julie's life, Julie appeared to be much happier. She laughed at the antics of the herd beasts. She draped herself over her dragon's shoulders and hugged Rementh and patted her constantly. She waved gaily at people going about their daily chores. They waved back and said thankful prayers that she was happy and occupied.

As the day wore on, Rementh got more and more restless, and then it hit her. That lusting call. But she was too far away from the Weyr to be able to get Julie all packed up and there in time.

She sent a call to Alaranth, I need…I have need of bronze or brown dragons willing to fly me and whose riders are willing to be with Julie, please. We are at Skyview Lake.

Alaranth was sitting in her Weyr, preparing to leave when she got the message.

Rementh is at the lake beyond the next rise behind the Weyr and needs bronze or brown dragons. Alaranth sent the message to Torene. She is about to rise.

Torene gasped. She was in the lower caverns having a late afternoon snack with Tarrie, Uloa and Verona. Tarrie and Torene's two infants were on the floor of the cavern on a huge pile of furs, sleeping. The three women looked at her in surprise.

"That was Julie's dragon, Rementh," Torene said. Torene looked at Uloa. Uloa was in a stable relationship with T'mas and Torene did not want to jeopardize that, but T'mas had bedded Julie before. Surely there are some alternatives! Torene scolded herself. Think!

"What does she need?" Uloa asked. Verona was watching the 3 queenriders with high interest. They had forgotten a non-dragonrider was in their midst. She was seeing a side of life she rarely got to see.

"Um, oh" Torene brought herself back to the conversation, "She is ready to rise and needs a couple bronze or brown dragons willing to fly her whose riders are willing to bed Julie. She's at the lake at the bottom of Mallibeau's Hold."

"Well, she can't have T'mas and Helmith!" Uloa exclaimed.

"I know, I know," Torene said, with a placating hand on Uloa's arm, "and I'm not asking Boris either, Tarrie," Torene looked over at Tarrie with a small smile.

"And you can't send M'hall," they both chimed in at once. "Brianth would refuse," Uloa continued, "if M'hall tried to do his duty as Weyrleader!"

Torene pondered the question for a moment more.

"Someone will be there very soon, Rementh," Torene told the restive golden dragon telepathically and in voice for her companions' benefits.

"There's D'van, G'rd, Lane and Brian," Uloa said, "They're young enough to want to poke anything that won't run off!"

"Uloa!" Tarrie exclaimed, glancing at Verona as she did so.

Torene and Verona just grinned, and Torene nodded. "Good choices. Thanks, Uloa," Torene approved. She paused half a beat. "Are they TOO young?" she asked, "Have they had any run-ins with Julie?"

Uloa and Tarrie looked at each other, then at Torene, "EVERYONE has had run-ins with Julie! Let's hope their weyrlingmaster instilled some proper conduct in them!"

Torene sent out the message to the dragons and asked for an answer. She received four affirmatives and went on to request that they do their best to hide the riders in the woods near the lake so any stray holders wouldn't be appalled at the sight of dragonriders coupling in broad daylight. Again, she received the affirmative response.

Rementh received the message from Torene that four bronze dragons would be there momentarily and Rementh realized she should have let Julie know what would be happening before now.

When Julie heard that four bronze dragons and dragonriders were on their way for Rementh's flight, she got highly agitated.

"Rementh! Why didn't you give me some warning! I'm here in the lake, nude, and about to be having company in just..."

And with those words, three bronzes materialized over the middle of the gorgeous blue lake. The riders looked for a place to land and saw their prize naked and apparently waiting for them.

Rementh rumbled an apology, then realized she didn't have any herd beasts handy for a quick blooding. To her astonishment, D'van, G'rd and Lane each dismounted from their dragons and reached up behind the second ridge and brought down a live trussed wherry. The riders left the wherries on the ground and walked to the lake's edge.

All three knew Julie. Knew her whole history, because they had grown up with her lording it over them as weyrlings. Now, this instant, seemed like, well, revenge.

"We didn't know if Rementh would need her wherries trussed, or wanted them loose, G'rd said cuttingly, like the golden dragon needed the wherries trussed to be able to catch them. Lane dug his elbow in to G'rd's ribs and said, "Torene asked that we bring them and that we get under shelter of trees, to protect landholders from dragonriders' ways."

D'van and G'rd stepped into the water to assist Julie out.

Julie was conflicted. She knew these three riders. Lane was the best of this trio.

Rementh, when it's time to fly, fly so that Barth can catch you! Julie sent the message to her dragon with a catch in her throat as she watched the other two young men get closer. They each held out a hand to her in the almost waist high water. They were staring at her. The upright perky breasts, the slim physique of her. The firm skin, her small heart-shaped face, her dark eyes enormous as she stood there, arms hanging, not sure what was going to happen. They continued to stare.

Lane looked at the two men and saw the lascivious look on D'van's face and could only assume that G'rd felt the same. Barth, I've never asked this of you before, but I want you to CATCH THIS QUEEN!

He felt more than heard his dragon's response and glanced around quickly to find Barth near the lake's edge, watching Rementh. Tonath and Zireth were watching their riders, and not paying attention to the tension that felt so palatable to Lane, Barth, Julie and Rementh.

Rementh was looking vibrant and golden in contrast to Julie, who looked wan, pale, and afraid. Julie reached out to take the hand of G'rd, who seemed the lesser trouble of the two men facing her in the water. G'rd gave the hand he held a tug, which pulled Julie off balance. She fell into G'rd's arms and he snugged her up close.

"Well, well, queenie," he mocked, "You're all ready to go now, aren't you?!" G'rd dropped his head and tilted Julie's head back with a hand in her hair at the back of her head. He kissed her as she tried to evade his arms and squirmed unsuccessfully to slip out of his grasp. Julie's squirming was actually the worst thing she could have done. It brought her nude body in closer contact with the dragonrider than she wanted and it had quite an effect on G'rd. His arms became like bands of steel around Julie's body, then a hand slipped down her leg.

'That's quite enough," Lane said as he clipped G'rd's shoulder with a blow that numbed the younger man's arm momentarily and Julie jerked herself out of his arms to land in Lane's. D'van reached out to grab at Julie and Lane moved just enough for the groping hands to miss.

"Enough!" Lane snarled, "Dragonmen do not behave like drunken fools! We behave circumspectly regardless of time, place or opportunity!"

"Oh, c'mon, Lane!" D'van snapped, "This is JULIE! Little Miss Hoity Toity of the Weyr! Miss 'I'm too good for Wingseconds!'"

"I know who she is," Lane ground out, "She has refused my offers, rebuffed my advances on more than one occasion. But she is a queenrider and we do not treat our queenriders like this!"

As the three dragonriders came up out of the lake with Julie still in Lane's arms, a fourth dragon appeared overhead. Brian on Terenth hovered a few moments, taking in the scene. He smiled unpleasantly. This is gonna be fun! he thought, Bringing up short the wench who was always so snippy around bronzes who aren't leaders.

Brian landed Terenth near Tonath and Zireth. He dismounted and shed his jacket, gloves and helmet and stowed them in a carisak attached to Terenth's harness.

As they came up out of the lake, Julie bent down and picked up her discarded wrap. D'van started to reach for it and saw Lane narrow his eyes and give a brief but sharp shake of his head. He dropped his hands, but he was thinking, Who does Lane think he is? Just because he's older than us by a couple years doesn't make him our leader! Just wait. When the flight is over, anything can happen!

Rementh had moved over to the wherries that were still trussed and complaining loudly about it, and with a slicing motion with her front claw, she freed the first wherry. She let it flounder to its feet, shake all over to settle its' feathers and take off running. She waited a minute and then swept into the air to pounce on the wherry with pinpoint accuracy, slicing its jugular cleanly in two.

She needed no urging from Julie. She had learned well from her past mistake. She blooded the wherry, threw aside the limp carcass, and pounced on the second and third wherry, slicing their bonds then impaling each one as it began to run off.

She was glowing golden and looking at her four bronzes, stood up on high on her back legs and beat the air with her great golden wings. The four bronzes were getting excited at the sight of the beautiful golden dragon. She let out a coquettish squeal and swept off the ground and into the sky, catching two of the dragons totally flat footed.

The riders had moved off from the lake's edge into the overhang of a stand of weeping willow trees where Julie had spread her outside rugs earlier in the day. Though almost in the throes of their dragons' flights, three of the young men were looking at each other and making plans with intense stares, nods and shifting of eyes and single whispered words.

They had decided that whoever got the queen rider first would hand her off to the next and the next, and their plan may have worked except for two things. One predictable, the other totally unpredictable.

Lane's Barth caught Rementh. Julie's supine body was his while Barth was engaged with Rementh. They were both more aware of their surroundings than was usual in a mating flight. In the mating chamber, the dragonriders whose dragons had failed to catch the queen left the chamber, leaving the couple alone. Here, the couple was perfectly aware that the other three dragonriders had not left the area under the trees, and were, in fact, waiting for the couple to finish. Both felt rather constrained with an audience, and Julie, especially, since she could see their faces from where she lay, felt very exposed. As Lane finished, he rolled off, sat up, then stood up, adjusting his clothing. Julie sat up also, reaching for her robe, then standing with her back to the men, slipped on her robe.

The three dragons had returned to the lake's edge awaiting their riders. They had been restrained from entering the lake, which would have an enjoyable pastime for the three, but they still had their flying harnesses on.

Barth and Rementh returned from their flight and landed closer to the trees. Both felt the uneasiness of their riders, and Rementh especially, since she had been spending all her time with Julie, felt the underlying fear and dread emanating from her rider. She also felt the fury emanating from the three standing riders, and this bothered her even more.

Rementh queried her rider, Shall I come and get you? I feel that you feel you are in danger.

Yes! Julie responded telepathically, Yes, Rementh, please come and get me!

Julie fully expected Rementh to barge into the little alcove in the trees. But Julie sounded so upset that Rementh did the unforeseen. She went between and came out next to her rider. Julie gasped quietly, reached out and grabbed her dragon with one hand while holding her robe closed with the other. As Julie grabbed her foreleg, Rementh wrapped her rider in both her front legs and went between again. And although Julie was nearly frozen to the bone, she was a-wing in the air above Benden Weyr, safe, then her dragon landed on her ledge.

Julie began sobbing and in a stumbling run, ran into the bathing room to get warm.

Rementh asked You are all right now, Julie?

Julie responded, No. Yes, Rementh, yes, I will be fine. You have saved my life, yet again. The water was splashing as the woman slopped it over herself, knowing that going in as cold as she was would probably be too much for her system to handle.

The leaders need to know about this, Rementh said.

NO! Julie yelled in her head, then, more calmly, No, Rementh, those three would only deny it. Lane and I could never prove anything. But how you got me out will remind them forever to NEVER underestimate you, my love!

Rementh knew better than to argue, and it did make sense, as she had felt the utter astonishment of the four dragons and their riders, when she appeared next to Julie on the ground. This was something that they had been trained never to do. Go between while on the ground and land again on the ground coming out of between. It had frightened the men and awed the dragons.

Julie was right about the warm water. Usually so wonderful, now it made her system overload and she tried her best to scramble out of the stone pool. She almost made it, got one leg over the edge, when she fainted, falling out of the bath onto the stone floor. Just as she was losing consciousness, she heard her golden dragon query her: 'Julie, heart of my hearts, what's happening? You are fading from me!'

When Rementh heard the thud of Julie's body hitting the floor, she pushed head and shoulders through the partition between the dragon weyr and the rider's quarters. She pushed herself the rest of the way in and took the few steps to the bathing room and although she did not fit through the opening, she could reach Julie's foot with her front claw. She gently pulled the girl to her, then snagging a folded blanket from the foot of the bed on her way back out, she carried Julie to her weyr. She spread the blanket with one front claw and a back leg, laid her rider's quiet form on it, and wrapped her up. Picking up her light bundle, she settled herself into her weyr with her beloved rider in front of her and nestled her head around Julie to help warm her up gently and slowly.

Rementh felt she had acquitted herself rather well this day. And now she would have a clutch worthy of the Benden name. She felt vindicated by the flight itself. It hadn't been as long as some, but it was a good flight. She would have many eggs from this flight. Her shame would be erased, she felt.

Julie was beginning to stir. She looked surprised to find herself wrapped in her bed blanket and in her dragon's weyr. But she was toasty warm and feeling no ill effects from the episode of between and her bathing pool. In fact, she was getting hungry. She'd have cookies and milk or crackers and buttermilk. And of course, Rementh could have whatever she wanted.

Again, Rementh spoke to Alaranth and asked the queen if she would please relay the messages that the mating flight had gone well, with Rementh being caught by Barth and could they please have snacks brought up here. Some sweets for Julie, and milk or buttermilk, whichever was handiest. She would like raw wherry, please, but cooked would be all right, if that was all that was available.

Torene stomped her foot. Drat that woman. It was almost not worth all the extra work to let her stay alone with her dragon 24/7. Julie was behaving better, or so it appeared, but she sure was skating right out of chores. And that was beginning to get old, fast.

Torene thanked Rementh for the news directly, and added that the food would be up directly, which startled the dragon momentarily until she remembered that Torene had spoken to her on any number of occasions. During Thread practices. In greeting upon passing. And every time, Torene was pleasant. Every time. Except the time of the dragon deaths. Then she was crying. But she was never like Julie seemed to be all the time…

Torene had always been gentle and kind to Rementh, the same way she was with everyone to whom she spoke. Rementh remembered the day of her 3rd clutching when Torene had gotten angry with Julie because Julie had been so disparaging about the number and size of Rementh's clutch with Dagmath. Torene's tone on that day had been gentle yet sad to Rementh about her 'accomplishment,' even though Rementh had figured out since then why Julie had been so upset.

Again, Rementh had a little twinge of guilt because of what she felt about Torene, and the way she was beginning to feel about Julie.

Why are you so polite to everyone? Julie asked her dragon.

Why not? Rementh responded, pulling herself out of the past.

Well, it doesn't get you anywhere! Julie said huffily.

It does no harm for me to be polite to people. I am polite to you, too, you know. Her dragon responded.

You are? I hadn't noticed. Julie said airily, getting up from Rementh's weyr and padding across to her quarters, the red blanket trailing after her as she held it to her breasts.

The blanket slid to the floor in a puddle of fleecy red as she reached for her robe that she had tossed onto the sofa in her living quarters when she had come running in from the ledge.

The doorway partition was swept aside by a hastily moving body, backside first. The overladen tray nearly slipped from the grasp of the slight weyrling who was trying to manage without help.

"Here we go, here we go! I have your food! I hope I'm not late!" He stopped dead at the sight that greeted him. Julie, robe sleeve on one arm while the other arm stretched up behind her to slip the robe onto her shoulders and her arm into the other sleeve.

Julie started to erupt in anger, when her dragon took matters out of her hands.

Thank you, young dragon rider! Rementh spoke in the boy's head, for he was little more than that. Please set the tray on the table near the entryway. Then you may go.

Having to turn back around to place the tray on the table, the boy broke off his stare. He had turned bright red with embarrassment and did not even realize that it was the dragon and not the human who had spoken to him, let alone that it was not verbal.

He set the tray down and bolted out the partition without ever turning back around to face Julie.

Julie turned slowly to face her dragon. Anger in every line of her and her eyes snapping with fire.

"Why did you interfere with that little twit and me?" Julie asked Rementh haughtily.

You would have been rude to him, and not a bit gracious about his getting our food here so very quickly, Rementh noted. Did you not realize how afraid he was of you? You have a very harsh reputation among people everywhere.

"But he saw me NAKED!" Julie cried out in anger.

He will not remember that, her dragon dismissed that little bit of news, what he will remember is that you were nice to him!

"That wasn't me! That was YOU!"

He will only recall it as a conversation with you, her dragon replied.

"Why?" Julie asked, anger shading her words, "Why do you care?"

Because, if you are going to continue to live in this weyr, in this place, you must be more amendable. Was the surprising answer from her dragon.

"Why?" Julie asked again, then what her dragon had said sank in, "What do you mean 'live here'?"

I am telling you that for you to continue to live with these people, you will become more like me. Or we will leave this place. Was the surprising answer from her beloved golden dragon.

"Leave?" Julie asked. "Move elsewhere? Why would I do that when I have everything the way I want it right here?"

Because I will leave. Her dragon spoke unequivocally. I will not burden this place with our presence if you will not make a diligent effort to be more like…more likable, more amendable, more pleasant to be around. Less likely to be treated like you were by those…riders today. Rementh refused to call them dragonriders. You will no longer order these people around. And you will do your share of the chores. Starting tomorrow. Or I will leave this place the day following.

Julie's eyes went wide. She felt an edging of fear in her gut. She felt there was an underlying meaning to her dragon's term 'this place.' She felt there was an underlying threat from her dragon to remove her from 'this place' if she did not change her selfish ways.

She sat down slowly and carefully on the bed. She did not, for some reason, want to move quickly or draw attention to herself. She wanted to remain still and silent as if being still and silent her dragon would forget what she had just said to her.

Both were quiet for some time, food forgotten. Rementh turned around in her weyr and got comfortable, settling herself for a nap, her conscience clear.

Rementh had heard Torene talking to herself. Dragons heard whomever they wanted to hear, and Rementh liked listening to Torene and Mihall. Especially Torene. She now realized that by her, Rementh, taking Julie out of the everyday workings of the weyr, she had created a hardship for others who lived here. She had thought she was making their lives less tedious by taking Julie's acerbic selfish person out of the equation. But she had made it harder, because the chores were spread out over fewer people. So, she made new plans. She would reorient Julie to be more like Torene, or they would leave. She just didn't say like Torene, which she almost had earlier. She had to be more mindful.

Julie waited until Rementh was quiet, then she slipped into bed, putting out the light near her. Even though it was still light outside, it was shadowy in the bedchamber. Julie lay quietly but her thoughts were racing around in her head, little knowing they were all leaking over to Rementh.

What exactly had her dragon meant? Was she a prisoner of her own dragon? Did she dare bring someone in on this situation? Or did she take it at face value and know that her dragon would leave her if she didn't begin to behave circumspectly? Would Rementh really risk their sanity?

I mean, look at Nora! Julie thought. She's nearly a vegetable because her dragon died! Would that happen to me if my dragon merely left me? Julie was getting frazzled just thinking about it.

Bottom line, Julie thought, I better shape up! I do NOT want to be without my golden dragon! I would be NOTHING if I lost my golden dragon!

Rementh nearly chuckled out loud. It was working. Julie was still more concerned about what would happen to herself, but Julie was beginning to see that she was the unreasonable one! She, Julie, was the one who had to shape up.