A/N I felt inspired to write two chapters in one day! Also, fair warning, this chapter is definitely rated T.

Munchimuncheth rises! Blith's voice was filled with desire and anxiety. It was time to fly!

M'quiggly had been instructed in the preparations for such a flight, but had very little idea what occurred after the flight began. He'd been to embarrassed to ask, because it seemed to him that everyone around him knew what to expect. It was as if they all shared some sort of private joke that they assumed he was in on. But, he was not bred on Pern and did not share that innate understanding of how weyrlife functioned, despite being a dragonrider.

It also seemed that Blith was too caught up in the excitement to give him any true answers to what was about to occur. As Blith hurried to blood his kill with the others, M'quiggly felt an odd feeling overcome him. He followed the other riders into the Weyr.

Soon, the riders around him were inconsequential. He was with Blith now in a way that he had never before been. He was soaring through the air in a way he had never soared before! They would catch Munchimuncheth! They would! They were the cleverest, the fastest, the best!

None of them will catch me! Those silly beasts think they can outfly me! ME! I am Munchimuncheth! No one will catch me! She dove and flew and ducked, trying to trick the dragons that dare think themselves good enough to fly her. S'fehlad threw his head back a laughed: he was also now completely with his beast.

Blith flew well under Munchimuncheth. Quickly, he came up upon her and she cried, defeated. But, no, she was not defeated, Blith told her. The two would fly and fly until they no longer could. They were now, together.

So were their riders. Under the full influence of both the dragons and the green's rider, M'quiggly could not resist. He was not in his head and therefore, was unable to object to such a loss of control, such an intimacy.

The flight was long and good, but when he woke M'quiggly was unaware of his surroundings. He was not in his weyr. He turned to his side, aware of another body next to him. S'fehlad? Had he and S'fehlad…

As if he could sense M'quiggly's discomfort, S'fehlad stirred and woke. He sat up and glanced at the rider next to him. It was a good thing, S'fehlad decided, that M'quiggly did not jump out of the bed. Sensing the panic rising in him, S'fehlad realized he better start talking.

"Blith flew Munchimuncheth," he offered lamely, hoping it would provide some sort of consolation for the clearly disturbed M'quiggly.

"What does that have to do with—"?

"—Did no one tell you!" M'quiggly shook his head, "And you couldn't figure it out after all this time in the weyr."

Again, M'quiggly shook his head and turned a deep purple. S'fehlad gave a little laugh.

"Don't make fun of me!"

"Lad, I'm not making fun of you, I just don't know what do in this situation," S'fehlad too turned a bright shade of purple. M'quiggly didn't say anything, but got out of the bed and went around the room, collecting his clothing. S'fehlad tried not to watch, as he felt that that would create more unease between the two friends.

He enjoyed himself, Munchimuncheth assured her rider. S'fehlad nodded but was unsure as to whether or not M'quiggly knew he had enjoyed himself. He cursed himself for the discord this would undoubtedly create between them.

Now clothed, M'quiggly ran out of S'fehlad's weyr. As he bounded down the stairs to his own, he cursed the entire planet of Pern.

It was a good flight, Blith said calmly, content with himself. Did you not enjoy yourself?

"That's not the point, Blith!" M'quiggly was now irate, even his own dragon had been in on the joke they had all played on him! He imagined the entire planet laughing at him. Why hadn't Blith told him?

You never asked, the hurt in his tone evident. In his anger, M'quiggly had forgotten that his dragon would never do anything to hurt him, would never plot against him.

He cares for you.

M'quiggly could only assume the dragon was referring to S'fehlad. S'fehlad! With that one, M'quiggly did not know what to do. He had never consciously had intimate feelings for his friend and was unsure even now how he felt for the man. He had not even been aware that two men… M'quiggly let that thought trail off and his thoughts wandered back to his pirate mates. They would certainly now think they had made the right decision to exile him. If they had known that he had shared a bed with a man! He sought Blith's mind for comfort.

I do not understand the problem. You were together. You enjoyed it. Munchimuncheth and I are together. We enjoy it,

At these words, M'quiggly realized there was at least one part of this he could not ignore. S'fehlad's green and Blith shared an intimacy, even if he refused one with S'fehlad. No. They must remain on good terms for the sake of their dragons. M'quiggly could not ignore the choice of his dragon.

M'quiggly found S'fehlad at the dinner hour. He sat with him to prove that he could and would maintain a friendship with the man, but was more cautious with affection; he wanted to be sure that S'fehlad understood that even though their dragons were together, the riders were not.

S'fehlad had to work hard to fight down the hot tears of embarrassment that threatened to burn through. What a silly fool he'd been to think that M'quiggly could care for him. He was a gangly, oafish sort of fellow who didn't deserve—

He cares.

S'fehlad was surprised to hear not Munchimuncheth, but who he could only assume was Blith, talking to him! Maybe there was hope, but he would have to tread ever so carefully.

This time, it was S'fehlad who excused himself from M'quiggly. M'quiggly sighed, wondering if the damage could be repaired. Dragons were stubborn and just because their riders were at odds did not mean that their bond would dissipate. It was terribly unhealthy for them to continue this way.