Hopefully this makes up for the little formatting snafu that happened with the last chapter! ~AS

"What's next?" N'kar asked the moment the wingleaders left the meeting room. He sagged in his chair, looking turns older than he had this morning. No doubt holding his own first against the Benden Weyrleaders and then against the Weyr's bronzeriders had drained him even further after an already exhausting flight.

"I don't know." Kayta shrugged. "We retire to our weyrs for sleep and get to work first thing in the morning?"

He gave her a confused look. "You don't celebrate?"

"Celebrate what?"

"A queen rising and a good flight?"

It was her turn to feel baffled. "The Weyr celebrates that?"

"Usually. Granted, not for very long, but there's usually roast something, bubbly pies, and wine flowing."

While the idea was appealing – Faranth knew a celebration would do them good after everything they had been through – Kayta found herself balking at the idea. "I don't know. Without Benden's and the other Weyr's support, we'll need to set up our own trades deals. Plus there's the hatching to consider. We should conserve supplies..." She trailed off as she caught the bemused expression in his eyes. "What?"

"Our resources are limited for the moment, but they're a damn sight better than they were before."

"How do you know? The records are the weyrwoman's responsibility."

"And a good resource for a dragonrider who wants to learn more about his new Weyr."

She gasped. "You were sneaking in and reading them behind our backs?"

"There's no sign saying brownriders must stay out."

"I didn't say that, I'm just shocked..."

"That a dragonman would stoop so low?"

"No. It's just… not many dragonmen beyond maybe N'bel cared. Z'char certainly didn't."

"More the fool him." He started ticking his points off on his fingers – fingers that had deftly stroked and teased her the night before. The memory was so vivid that she had to look away and she shifted in her chair suddenly desperate to be anywhere but here. "You forget you're no longer in hiding, so you're no longer limited on what holds you can trade with. The mainland holds will come begging for the fruits that the holders grow and the fish in the water around these islands. And in time, I'm sure others might consider starting their own holds here on some of the other islands."

"Huh." She quickly went over the numbers in her head, and realized that he was right. "We should have alerted Berjoui earlier then so the lower caverns could prepare."

N'kar tilted his head back and sniffed the air. "Judging from the smells emanating from up the beach, she's already well ahead of us." He stood and held out his hand to her. "Come along Queenrider, our Weyr is waiting."

Given the previous reactions to learning that a brown had flown a queen, Kayta wasn't sure what to expect when they reached the dining cavern. More sullen looks probably. Definitely more grumbling. However, when they reached the entrance, the dragonriders stood. And then to her complete surprise, they started to clap. It was slow and begrudging, but it was clapping all the same. One man even cheered, his whoops echoing through the space.

"D'rean." N'kar grumbled, and she easily spied the bluerider sitting next to a happy Gineara with one arm slung around the woman's shoulders. Despite their wingleader's earlier protests, the rest of the men in N'kar's flight looked genuinely happy for their fellow dragonrider.

There was no time to dwell on it though, for the brownrider was pulling her along to the Weyrleader's table at the front of the dining cavern. As soon as they were seated, N'bel stood and raised his glass of wine into the air. "That was the longest and highest flight I've seen in many a turn! To our Weyrwoman and her Weyrleader - may Lysith's clutch contain many eggs, may they harden quickly, and may they produce many fine bronzes."

A chorus of 'ayes' rang out through the dinning cavern, and the weyrfolk stepped forward to begin serving the meal. While the dragonriders had always ate well, Berjoui and the cooks had outdone themselves this time. The tables over flowed with roast beast, grilled fish, vegetables and fruits from the hold, and so much wine and klah and juice that Kayta was surprised her fellow riders weren't sloshing as they stumbled from table to table.

While the fact that their new Weyrleader was a brownrider still irritated some, most were elated that the fear of Z'char's indolence and R'nahl's tyranny was long behind them. And it wasn't long before even the most stubborn hold outs were cracking a smile or two – though she didn't doubt that that was aided by the wine and the flasks being passed about.

The meal was followed by bubbly pies and music. Kayta gasped when the Weyr's harper strummed a chord and launched into a jaunty tune that had many couples twirling around a make shift dance floor while others hummed along.

N'kar nudged her with his elbow. "Shall we?"

"Shall we what?"

His eyes sparkled with mirth, or maybe it was the wine, either way, how had she never noticed his fine eyes before? "Dance, of course."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, given our track record."

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."

She snorted, and he smiled broadly. "How many times did I trod on your toes last time?"

"Only twice."

"I think it was a bit more than that."

"You're probably right, but I doubt anyone will care."

"I doubt they'll ever forget." Kayta hummed sipping at her wine. She raised her voice an octave as she mimicked the lower caverns women. "Did you see how the Weyrwoman kept bumping into the others? Maybe she likes the wine just as much as Z'char did."

"They'll never say that."

"No but I'm sure they'll come up with something just as horrible. The Weyr lives for gossip. Besides, I'm much too sore to be swinging around like that." Upon seeing disappointment replace the sparkle in his eyes, she patted his hand, giving it a quick squeeze. "Next time. I promise."

"Fair enough. The flight was quite..."

"Yes." She agreed before he could finish, flushing at the memory of it and the events that had followed afterwards.

"There are things that can help with that. Or so I've heard Ginaera whispering about with the other greenriders."

"Oh?"

"Salves and tonics." His voice grew a little huskier as he continued. "Soaking in water, the warmer the better. Massages."

"I suppose you probably have loads of experience with that."

"Not really." He finished off the wine in his cup, but shook his head when a weyrlad offered to refill it. "Elanth has caught greens before, but I've never stayed around after the flight was over."

"Because your old weyrmate would've thrown a fit?" The look N'kar gave her was sharp and she found herself stumbling to come up with an explanation for how she knew what she did without giving away the truth. "I mean, I've heard stories that..."

He grimaced. "Right. Malena probably let it slip. She loves to remind people of my faults. Llydwen… she hated that I wasn't completely hers. So, yes, that did play a part in it." His hand found hers where it rested on the arm of her chair, his thumb stroking the back of her hand idly. "But the real reason is because I never wanted them the same way my dragon wanted theirs."

Was this, Kayta wondered as she watched him draw lazy intoxicating circles on her skin, how it was between Weyrleaders? Though she knew that that was a foolish assumption based on her own experiences and what she had noticed in others. Relationships like F'lar and Lessa were the exception, not the rule. Most Weyrleaders were probably closer to what she and Z'char had been – united only during mating flights.

No, this was his old attraction and obsession rising to the surface again, aided by wine and dragonlust. She could see the faint outline of where Lysith laid in her wallow with Elanth, their necks and tails still twined together as they watched the celebration with whirling green eyes.

Is that so bad? Her queen dragon asked. You liked him too once. Didn't you?

Lysith was right. It had been a small fantasy of hers that maybe, once things were settled, something might blossom between them. Elanth wining the mating flight had put a bit of a kink in those plans though, and she wasn't sure if she should take advantage of the opportunity or continue to wait.

Unity will do the Weyr good.

It would. But she could feel N'bel's, R'nahl's, and M'rocav's eyes on them, judging their every move, and the last thing she needed was to add more fuel to that particular fire. She stood. "Excuse me."

"Kayta -" N'kar's grip on her hand was steadfast. "Stay. Please."

"I just… I need a moment."

"Let me come with you." When he saw that she was about to say no, he held up a finger to stop her. "For appearances sake only. If you wish to go a different way afterward we are out of sight, then fine. Or if you wish to just talk, that's fine as well. But I think, the two of us leaving separately would shatter what little peace we've achieved."

She took a deep breath and nodded. He had a point – if she were to leave on her own, the others might take that as some sort of a rejection. It was best to continue showing a unified front regardless of what happened outside of her bed. She linked her arm with his once more, forcing herself to smile through the catcalls, whistles, and knowing smiles that surrounded them as he escorted her from the dining caverns and back to her weyr.

Once the din had faded behind them, Kayta turned to face him. "Why me?"

"What?"

"Why do you want me? Is it because you had some fantasy of rescuing me? Or something else? And after everything that has happened, the lying, the stealing, dragon nearly fighting against dragon, why do you still want me?"

"In the beginning..." He sighed, trailing off as he mused over her question. "Maybe a bit of it was because you needed help. Because I wanted to be the one to save you. And for awhile there, I did want to give up because of the lying. But now? You don't need saving, and you've done everything you can to fix the problems you created. Faranth, you're doing everything in your power to fix problems that were created long before you were even born. Problems that aren't your fault and have nothing to do with you."

"Exactly, so why -"

"That's why. You are tenacious, and strong. You are daring, but wise. No other Weyrwoman I know would have the guts to go up against F'lar and Lessa. You could have disavowed this, all of this, and agreed to another open flight, but you didn't. You stuck by me. And you stood by me again with the Bronzeriders."

She rubbed her hands over her face, "An impossible Weyrleader for an impossible Weyr."

"Aye." He kissed her, pressing his lips gently against hers first before increasing the intensity in such a way that made her belly flip flop. He teased her with little licks and nips, stoking the desire deep inside of her until all she could do was cling to him for support. "Invite me back to your Weyr."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"If they see, they'll think..."

"Who cares what they think." He nuzzled her neck, "Please Kayta."

She nodded her assent and he quickly scooped her up into his arms, carrying her the rest of the way to the safety of her weyr. It was still a mess from the day before, since Berjoui and the others had been too busy cooking to clean, but he carefully stepped over the discarded clothing to deposit her safely on the bed.

A giggle escaped her lips as he lowered himself over her, intent on resuming his previous attentions. He kissed her once more, tasting her deeply as his hands deftly undid the laces of her bodice. Once her breasts were free he cupped them, stroking them and teasing them, and then his mouth followed the path his hands had taken.

Her giggles turned into moans and she arched against him, offering him more, offering him everything as she tangled her fingers in the curls of his hair. The weight of him pressed against her, the way his breath washed over her skin – it nearly undid her…

N'kar pulled back, staring down at her with eyes dark with desire. "Kayta. My runner. My Weyrwoman."

She leaned up and kissed him pulling him back down against her. "My Weyrleader."

He groaned at that, and even though he was no untried weyrling, his hands fumbled between them as he rushed to undo the buttons on his trousers. Kayta helped, quickly popping them open one by one as he rucked the fabric of her skirt up around her waist. Once they were free of any encumbrances, he slid inside her, rocking against her until they both peaked and the world shattered around them.