A/n: The usual: I don't own DoP, or SDH, or Thread's End Weyr, or Wyth, or Bendeth, or blah blah woof woof. I still can't think of what to call my little red dragon. Marcel is the name my sister gave the screaming funky monkey I bought for her car. I'm open to suggestions:-) Also, it's been pointed out to me that blues are actually bigger than greens so I've had to revise that. Hope you like all this revising and re-formatting, it's such a bother, but I do it for you, my darling reader/reviewers.
The Feast
That was very good. Kendra smiled in delight at the satisfaction in the little green dragon's voice. Terranth's eyes glowed the blue green of contentment as she finished licking the last remains of her first meal. Her hide was a dark emerald shade and Kendra noticed the color gradually faded as it traveled to her underbelly, which was a beautiful sea green, very pleasant to look at.
I'm glad that you liked it. You sure ate a lot for such a little thing.
I am a growing dragon, I need to eat, Terranth stated matter-of-factly, and then gave a soft burp. Excuse me.
Kendra just shook her head. Her gaze drifted to her right where Shauna and Et'an were finishing feeding their own dragons.
Et'an had Impressed a brown whose name was Tilanth. Tilanth's hide was so dark in some places it looked black and so light in others, such as his underbelly, as to appear slightly bronze and tan. Overall he was a very handsome dragon.
Shauna, ever so bubbly, had Impressed a green to her eternal delight. Shrith was a light green, the color of grass and leaves, and her underbelly was a small strip of tan hide. Both Tilanth and Shrith nearly dwarfed Terranth, who was the smallest green. But that didn't faze her in the least, and Kendra wasn't bothered. She had Impressed Terranth, and that was all that mattered.
She caught Et'an's eye and grinned at him. He grinned back, his expression saying we did it! Tilanth snaked his neck up and rubbed Et'an on the leg and Et'an obliged to scratch his eye ridges, and expression of absolute delight crossing his face.
Kendra knew how he felt and she could see the others who had Impressed wore that same silly, delighted look on their faces. Then she saw K'nast, the wingsecond who was in charge of the weyrlings. His brown Tampath crooned a greeting to the new dragonets and was answered in turn by a chorus of trumpeting.
"Weyrlings, listen up."
While his tone was friendly, there was also an underlying hint of authority that no one missed. Kendra and the rest of the weyrlings came to attention, most of them touching their dragons.
"Congratulations. You have been chosen by your dragon partners and Impressed them. That's good. Many have stood on the Sands and never Impressed. Some have stood several times before they're chosen. But you are chosen and that means that you are now dragonriders."
A chorus of cheers greeted that remark and several dragons, newborn and mature alike, trumpeted. K'Nast let that go for a little bit before he raised his hands for silence. Tampath calmed the dragonets and then K'nast resumed his speech.
"However, to be effective and fight Thread, first you must be taught. That means in addition to flight training and learning to chew firestone, the riders will first be learning how to take care of your dragon. Before firestone and flight, you will learn how to scrub, oil, bathe, and feed your dragon properly. You'll be taught all the Ballads and Teaching Songs, if you haven't already."
The last part was delivered in a wry voice and all the weyrlings laughed. Ever since they were Searched, all the candidates had been taught all the ballads and songs till they were almost sick of them.
"You will not be going between anytime soon, so don't even think about trying to teach yourself and your dragon." K'Nast's voice became stern and Tampath rumbled threateningly in agreement, effectively quelling any thoughts of youngsters going between.
As if I would endanger you by going between when I'm not ready, was Terranth's derisive thought and Kendra had to quell her laughter at her dragon's audacity.
"But tonight is the night to celebrate," K'nast went on in a lighter tone.
"Your families have been flown in and a feast is going on in your honor. Take this time to talk to your family and show off your dragon. You all have been shown to the weyrling barracks. That is where you will stay until your training is complete and you are assigned a permanent weyr of your own. When you are finished celebrating, you will go there. But for now, have fun! Because training starts tomorrow at dawn."
With that ominous warning, K'nast left with his dragon
Not a bad guy, came Terranth's thought in the back of Kendra's mind.
"Terranth," she reprimanded her dragon, amazed at her dragon's boldness.
It's the truth. Tampath doesn't mind. He's of the same opinion.
"You are so weird."
What's weird?
"Don't worry about it." And then Et'an and Tilanth were upon them.
"Hey, Kendra. Hello, Terranth," he greeted the pair and Tilanth rumbled a greeting to Terranth.
"Hey Ethan…oops. What do you want to be called?" Et'an laughed at her mistake, instantly making Kendra relax.
"Et'an. And you?"
"Me?"
Kendra was surprised. The traditional shortening of the name was a badge of honor all fighting dragonriders did, with the exception of the queen riders. So far only the males who Impressed used it, though with the large number of girls who Impress a green rising each year, some had taken to using the tradition to their name as well.
"Me?" Et'an mimicked. "Of course. Why wouldn't you? You're a dragonrider now."
Tilanth rumbled his agreement.
He has a point.
Thank you for your approval, Terranth.
You're quite welcome, was the pert response.
"Actually, I hadn't thought about it really."
"Well, I have and I agree with Et'an. I'm changing my name." The four turned to see Shauna and Shrith near them and both seemed pleased.
Of course they are. They are together and Shrith has eaten. Terranth's logic was something to get used to.
"So how are you going to change your name? S'hauna, Sh'na…" Kendra asked, trailing off, the line open.
"From now on, Shauna, the daughter of the Weyr, is now S'na, green Shrith's rider." S'na finished somewhat dramatically, but perfectly in tune with her personality. Shrith trumpeted in agreement and there was a note of finality to that.
"S'na it is." Kendra smiled. "Now it sounds like your name is 'suh-naw'."
"And Et'an's sounds like 'a-tan'."
"What's wrong with that?" There was no censure in his voice, which at sixteen and a half, had deepened considerably. Only playfulness.
"Oh, absolutely nothing," Kendra assured him, smiling. "It's similar enough to your original name that it won't be difficult to remember."
It felt good to know that even though they had Impressed dragons who would be closer than any best friend could ever hope to be, that they would still remain friends.
"Hey, K'nast mentioned a feast in our honor. Anybody care to go eat?"
"Always thinking with your stomach, Et'an?" Kendra teased but on que her stomach rumbled mightily. Her friends looked at her and laughed.
You are hungry. You should eat.
The calm logic of her dragon made Kendra feel free.
We will go to sleep.
And with a yawn, the three dragonets told their riders how tired they were. Kendra noticed S'na and Et'an were just as reluctant, but their stomachs were also very insistent, as well as their dragon's voices of encouragement and reassurances that they would be all right. She felt an almost physical ache at the thought of leaving Terranth even for the short time to get her plate of food.
I will not be gone long, Kendra promised.
The friends took their new partners to the barracks assigned to them, the girls in one dorm, the boys in the other, and made sure that the dragons were comfortable.
"Come on you guys. Let's go eat. Besides, it would not do to ignore our families when they came to watch us."
So the three friends made their way to the large table set with food. Along the way they discussed various names for Kendra.
"Personally, I like K'dra," Et'an was saying as they grabbed some plates.
"Could it have only been a few hours since breakfast?" S'na asked, wonderment in her voice.
"I don't care how long, just as long as I get something to eat," Et'an replied, loading his plate generously of the roast wherry and vegetables.
"I agree," Kendra responded, this time getting a huge hunk of wherry, some tubers, some potatoes, and a lot of fruit.
Her plate was the fullest it had been in a long time and S'na exchanged surprised looks with Et'an at how much was on her plate. Kendra caught it and smiled.
"I'm very hungry."
"We can tell," Et'an remarked, and shook his head when Kendra snatched a piece of bread as well.
"Terranth must have rubbed off on her already," S'na grinned.
The friends turned toward the tables after grabbing some klah, juggling their cups and plates while looking for a place to sit at. Suddenly, a familiar face jumped out.
"Over here, guys."
Kendra then showed the way to where her family was sitting. Setting her plate and cup down at an empty spot, she found herself hugged by her father and brother first.
"Hey, Dad, Gavin."
Gavin reached over and ruffled Kendra's hair. His gave her the special smile reserved only for her. Gavin's little bronze firelizard, Mako, gave a trill of welcome as well. Next Nikkos gave her a kiss on her cheek and Latonya hugged her close. Malachi gave her an awkward pat on the back and Mia bubbled over with hugs and kisses.
"Whoa, hold on. I missed you guys too."
Kendra felt just that much special now that her family was here. After the greetings from her family, she introduced Et'an and S'na to her family. Et'an got the once-over from her father and brothers, and semi-discreet glances from her sister, but it turned out all right.
Soon they sat down to eat, but S'na spotted her own family and excused herself to go to them.
"And what about you?" Kendra teased Et'an as S'na departed.
"What about me?"
"Aren't you going to find your family?" Et'an smiled at her and shook his head.
"No, none of my family is here."
"Why not?" Nikkos asked around a mouthful of wherry.
"Well, I'm an only child that I know of and my mother died a couple of Turns ago from a very bad fever. My father is a dragonrider at Telgar. Right now they're fighting Thread and he's the wingsecond in charge of the new wing of weyrlings fresh out of training so he couldn't make it. He might come within the next hour or so, when Fall ends at Telgar."
"Oh."
Mia started flagging toward the end, having been permitted to have her very first, and only, cup of wine that night. Nikkos and Latonya decided they better get their brood home. Malachi wanted to stay, of course, having spotted some of the weyrwomen, but he followed his parents without much fuss. Gavin was allowed to stay, having reached maturity at 23 and the holder of his own home and engaged to a nice woman.
"I'll be with S'na," Et'an told Kendra, and he walked off.
Kendra walked her family to where a brown and his rider were waiting to take guests home.
"It was good to see you again, Mom, Dad, Mia. Malachi."
She gave each of her family members a hug and then watched as they disappeared from the sky when the brown went between.
"So, how are you doing?" Gavin asked quietly, and Kendra nearly jumped, having forgotten he was there.
"I'm doing great."
"Really?"
Kendra looked up at the serious tone in his voice.
"Really. Why do you ask?" Now her curiosity was up.
"Can I not ask how my sister is?" Gavin's tone and expression was light so Kendra felt free to tease him.
"No, absolutely not. How dare you."
Gavin's teeth shown white in the dwindling light and he just looked intently at her.
"What?"
"You're just different."
"How so?"
"You're so much more confident. Three months ago you never would have been so free and unreserved as you were in the presence of a boy not a part of our family, and here you are, laughing and talking with that Et'an fellow and those bronze riders who walked by. The old Kendra Ulric would have died of embarrassment."
"Ahh, so that's why you asked how I'm doing."
"Yeah." Kendra fell silent, thinking.
"I think being Searched by the Weyr was the best thing that ever happened to me. I know at the beginning I was scared stiff and felt initially like I had been abandoned kind of, but S'na and Et'an had been there for me, especially S'na. They helped bring me out in a way that no one in the family ever has."
Gavin just nodded as he accepted it.
"So this Et'an, he's a good friend?" Kendra shouted with laughter.
"I knew it! I can't have a guy friend without you thinking something's going on."
Gavin just shrugged at being caught out. The action almost unsettled Mako, who gave a soft squawk of protest. Gavin soothed him before continuing.
"Well, you are living in a Weyr and he is weyrbred. It's in the Big Brother Contract to check out any male in your little sister's life."
"You don't have to worry about Et'an, Gavin. He's just a friend."
"Sure he is. So is my espoused."
"Gavin."
"Well, I guess you'll be all right."
"I've missed you a lot."
"And I missed you Kendra."
"So, are you going to shorten your name?" Gavin asked curiously.
"I'm thinking about it. What do you think about K'dra?"
"I think that's perfect. K'dra, green Terranth's rider."
No words were needed then, for Gavin and Kendra's relationship was so close as to not need words.
Above, the brown and his rider came back and Gavin prepared to mount as soon as he landed. They hugged and then he and Mako were gone.
Usually, Gavin's leaving would have really left her feeling alone to the point it would almost overwhelm her, but there was something different. When she felt that loneliness beginning to overwhelm her, she reached for that new presence in her mind and a feeling of love and warmth reassured her.
You'll never be alone as long as I am here, was Terranth's confident assurance, sleepily in her mind. It touched Kendra that Terranth cared so much.
"I know," she whispered in the moonlight. Then she remembered that she had yet to meet S'na's parents and went to look for her friends.
S'na's parents turned out to be a blue rider and a weyrwoman from Southern Boll. After meeting them, Kendra stayed up late until she was exhausted. And Et'an's father was very nice, but Kendra was so tired she really wasn't paying that much attention to details.
She knew she had drunk one too many cups of wine and was extremely grateful, as she made her way toward the barracks that her gear was already stowed away and her parents had already left.
"Kendra Ulric has faded away, like a dragonet shedding her shell. K'dra, Terranth's rider, of Thread's End Weyr is born with the birth of a beautiful dragon babe."
"Now tell me I'm the dramatic one," S'na remarked sleepily from the next cot over and K'dra laughed tiredly, falling asleep to the sound of her new lifemate's breathing.